Friends Close, Enemies Closer
by Angelgrl185
Summary: It’s a race against time as Ginny tries to hide from Lord Voldemort for the secrets she discovers in the Chamber. It’s a race against her heart as she befriends Draco when placed in Slytherin to hide. It’s a race against death when a majestic sword threat
1. Dark Dreams

**Prelude:** _Ginny's life is in danger for the secrets she willingly obtained during her time in the Chamber of Secrets and the only way to keep her hidden and safe is to change her entire identity. Dumbledore proposes that Ginny changes her identity and then enroll back into Hogwarts to finish her schooling. The only catch is that she is no longer allowed to be in Gryffindor, but must enter a new house. Dumbledore feels the safest house for Ginny to be in is the one where her enemies came from, Slytherin. This brings a completely new meaning to the quote: "Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer."_

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Friends Close, Enemies Closer

**.:Angelgrl185:.**

_((I do not own the Harry Potter Series or any of its components))_

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Prologue: Dark Dreams

It was dark, pitch black with no stars hanging in the sky, she was only surrounded by intense blackness, but she kept running, forcing her legs to pump as if her life depended on it, because it did. Ginny Weasely's breaths came in shallow, ragged gasps as she sprinted willing with all her might that they blood coursing through her veins would wield more oxygen and energy to her weakening muscles.

Ginny felt her energy dying, her body giving out on her as well as it should, it had done far more then she should be asking it too. Her golden amber hair had been pulled into a tight ponytail, but multiple tendrils had gained freedom as she ran, clinging to the sweat covering her face and she knew it was a matted wreck, but for the first time in her life, Ginny could care less what she looked like. She only thought about her survival.

Ginny's green tee shirt was caked in mud and ripped in several places while the rest of it was either soaked in sweat or stained with blood. She became increasingly dehydrated, her body using all her liquids as she sweated profusely, cloaked in thick layers from her head to her feet. Ginny's body head flared, her face flushed bright red from the exertion, and her head was even steaming as her body released its heat into the cold air. Ginny could not feel the frostiness of the night though; she could only feel the heat of her skin and the burning in her lungs and muscles.

Ginny knew as she dashed blindly through the streets of London that her body was going to collapse soon, but she forced her mind to push the thoughts away because she could not afford her body giving out, they were hunting her and she could not afford to stop. The wind whipped icily around her, but Ginny could not fee it, her body had started to grow numb. She darted down a back alley, somehow hoping to lose her predators. Ginny, with little she could make out in the dark, dodged trashcans as her feet pounded heavily against the crushed gravel and dried leaves.

Suddenly, Ginny felt herself plow into a brick wall, her head giving a resounding smack as it met the wall and she bounced off, thrown from the force. A dead end, Ginny's head was pounding in rhythm with her heart as her body collapsed to the ground, her knees sinking to the earth, her hands pressed to the floor, she was broken.

She felt them before she heard them, they had caught up to her and she was trapped, nowhere to go and no strength to fight, not that she could beat them even if she did. They stood at the entrance of the alley, black robed bringers of death, then glided effortlessly towards her bringing a chill that even she couldn't escape, a chill that froze her body, that filled her mind, her heart and her soul.

They were swarming her now, touching her with their ghastly, scaly hands. Ginny lifted her head up weakly, her dull green eyes staring at the one standing in front of her, its black cloak billowing in the night's frosty wind. It reached out with both hands and grabbed Ginny's shoulders, hauling her to her feet, her body protesting earnestly. Ginny stared, powerless to do anything as the dementor brought its face close to hers and Ginny closed her eyes, waiting for the inevitable, waiting for it to suck out her soul, but it never came. Peeking through her eyelids, Ginny was alarmed and surprised to find herself no longer in the grasp of a dementor, but in Ron's and she was no longer in the alley, but dangling over a cliff.

"Ron! Ron! What are you doing?" Ginny choked out to the person grasping her tightly around her neck. She received no reply, only an icy cold stare of hatred.

"Please! Please I beg you Ron, do not drop me! Don't do this to me!" Ginny pleaded with her brother, tears filling her green eyes. This time he smirked coldly then released his fingers from their hold around her neck and Ginny fell.

"NOOOOO!" she screamed, arms flailing wildly.

Ginny felt as if she was moving in slow motion. Her body jerked around wildly, yet slowly as her lips parted emitting a ghastly scream. Her stomach was queasy, her heart felt as if it had plummeted to the pit of it and she was shaking uncontrollably as she fell. Fear encased her heart and mind as she tumbled endlessly through the air with incredible force, gaining speed as she fell.

Ginny prayed that her life would be taken away from her, but to no avail. After what seemed like ages of falling, Ginny crashed through the glassy surface of a lake, the frozen water chilling her to the bone. What little clothing that was still clinging to her worn body felt like a load of bricks, weighing her down. Ginny struggled against the water, swimming towards the surface and broke through, breathing in the air. She looked towards the shore and started to swim over when she felt sharp nails digging into her skin as bony fingers grabbed her legs.

Horrified, Ginny tried to kick the creature off her, but it would not relinquish its grip and started to drag her back under the water. She did not have much strength and the Grindylow was pulling her down, the lake swallowing her again. Ginny's air was running out, she had no more air to hold Her lungs felt as if they were shriveling, her head bursting with pain as black circles dotted her vision, her consciousness growing faint. Ginny barely consciously felt the Grindylow pull her to the ground. Desperately, she fumbled around and found a large rock. Straining to pick it up, Ginny threw it at her leg, hitting the Grindylow making it release its hold also slicing through her jeans and skin. Blood mixed with the lake water and floated in a cloud. Ginny frantically swam to the surface and broke through with a gasp, drinking in the air as if it were gold. She immediately began swimming hard and swift towards the shore.

When she reached the sandy beach, Ginny collapsed on it exhausted, drained, and empty. She lay there in silence until the sound of footsteps reached her ear. Ginny opened her heavy eyelids to reveal emerald eyes and nearly fainted from joy when she spotted Harry and Hermoine.

"Harry help me!" she croaked out weakly, pulling herself to her feet. The duo stared at her with evident distaste and hatred. Two sets of eyes glared at her fiercely, and they walked away leaving her alone and dying. Ginny broke down in tears, her shoulders quaking with sobs. The people she loved had abandoned her.

"Tsk, tsk Angelina. You are normally not one to show weakness." A familiar voice broke through her grief scolding.

Ginny looked up and discovered she was now in the Slytherin chambers, surrounded by the whole lot.

"Don't let them get to you Angelina, they're just pricks." Blaise said soothingly, helping Ginny unsteadily to her feet.

Confused, Ginny looked around wildly and tried to back away, but her legs gave out and she had to lean on Blaise to keep her balance.

"Maybe you should get some rest girl, you look horrible, deathly pale and everything." Blaise suggested as she pointed out Ginny's complexion.

Ginny was dumbfounded, what was she doing in Slytherin's common room and why were they being so nice to her? Who is Angelina? Is that her? Ginny closed her eyes and shook her head to clear her thoughts. When she opened them again however, they widened in fear. She was no longer at Hogwarts.

She was in what appeared to be a rather large cave, damp and it smelled like rotting wood. A slight fog covered the air, which was thick and hard to breathe. Ginny blinked rapidly, hoping the sight in front of her would go away if she did, but alas, it did not. Standing in front of her in a half circle was a group of death eaters, their figures casting ghostly shadows against the dimly lit cave. Ginny pressed herself hard against to the wall as if willing it to open and swallow her up. She had nowhere to run. Ginny shivered as the death eaters grew near, their steps soft against the dirt ground, their beady eyes glaring at her behind black robes.

They taunted her; she heard whispers all around her, even inside her head, baiting her, laughing at her. She clutched her head with her fingers and squeezed her eyes shut trying to block them out, but it did not work.

"Crucio!" a low baritone voice boomed through out the cave.

A wand pointed at her emitted a bright flash of light and Ginny screamed as the curse hit her. The pain was mind blowing, her head bursting with pain and white-hot light. She crumpled to the floor, her body searing with pain and she squirmed in the dirt like a pathetic dog. The pain lifted but its effects stayed with her as Ginny whimpered on the ground. The death eaters laughed coldly at her pain, satisfaction filling them as they watched her.

"Thought you could hide from us forever did you?" a feminine voice spoke, laced with venom. "You cannot hide from the Dark Lord forever, he always finds what he is looking for."

"I don't know what you are talking about." Ginny choked out between spasms of pain. The death eaters laughed mockingly.

"Oh really? Tell me Ginny Weasely, do you really think we are going to fall for that?" the woman hissed. "CRUCIO!" she shouted vehemently, brandishing her wand and hitting Ginny full force with her spell. Ginny let out a blood curdling scream and fell back to the ground, squirming with the intense pain.

"Enough!" a man yelled, causing the woman to stop her torment. Ginny gasped in air, her body still twitching. She had had enough, there was nothing left in her to keep going. Ginny wished that they would kill her and end this nightmare of a life.

"She has caused enough damage, there is no reason to let her live any longer."

"But she needs to suffer!" the woman protested earnestly.

"Her life has been one of suffering." The man said softly. The woman looked at him in disbelief. "Kill her now, end it." He ordered.

The front most death eater brought his hand out from under his cloak and pointed it at Ginny. "Avada Kedavra." He hissed as bright green sparks shot out and the blinding green light raced towards her.

"GINNY NOOO!" a familiar voice shouted and Ginny felt a body slamming into hers knocking her out of the path of the lethal curse and flattening them both to the dusty ground. They rolled several feet before coming to a halt, her savior on top. Ginny felt a rush of foreign emotions fill her directed towards the person and she became tingly inside. Ginny turned her gaze to the face trying to see who it was that risked their life for her, but her vision burst into white light and Ginny woke up.

Panting, Ginny sat straight up in her bed, the thing wool sheets sliding down her body. Dried tears stained her face and her body was damp with sweat. Slowly Ginny calmed down, recognizing her own room and realizing that it had all been a dream.

"A dream that was only a dream." Ginny whispered in relief as well as disbelief.

"But if felt so real."

Shaken by what she had seen, Ginny got up and went downstairs to the Burrow's kitchen to make herself hot chocolate. She picked up the rusty blue kettle and poured in some milk, placing it on low heat on the burner in order to heat up the milk and avoid burning it. She opened a pack of chocolate and broke it into tiny slabs before placing them one by one in the hot milk as they melted and then stirred the concoction with a wooden spoon. She added a little sugar to the mix and then poured the hot chocolate into a chipped Quidditch mug sporting the Chudley Cannons.

Settling herself at the table, she sipped her steaming mug and wondered whom it was that had saved her and why she could not see the face. Why did she feel strange emotions for this person?

"It wasn't real, wasn't real." Ginny repeated over aloud to herself, her rational mind taking over. In her heart however, Ginny could not brush the foreboding feeling off and she wondered if it was more than just a dream. Shivering, Ginny sipped her hot chocolate and stared out the kitchen window, her emerald green eyes meeting total darkness, a black starless night.

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**Yay! This is my attempt at a Harry Potter story and I assure you it has a very unique storyline, one I imagine you have never seen before. I'm actually hesitant to post this story. I just started my second semester of college and I am already well into another story…which you should check out…and I'm afraid I won't have time for all three. I guess we'll see how this goes, I really hate making people wait for chapters, so I'm going to try my hardest do to excellent in all three…school being the most important. Please review, they help motivate me!**

**.:Angelgrl185:.**


	2. Dreams Do Come True

Friends Close, Enemies Closer

**.:Angelgrl185:.**

_((I do not own the Harry Potter Series or any of its components))_

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Chapter One: Dreams Do Come True 

**Four Years Earlier**

_It was a damp cool place, the tireless dripping of water echoing throughout the stone walled room, or more so, prison. A large pipe was in the front of the chamber and a single stone passageway led out from it, scummy water blanketing either side. The path led to a large squared stoned section, the water flowing around it like a moat. On the wall, a trench went around the square and was lit with blazing fire. She felt his presence rather then saw it, at least, her subconscious mind did. Little first year Ginny Weasely was crumpled on the hard floor, her bright red hair fanned out and sticking to the damp, slimy stone. Her black roves were disarrayed, showing her pink cotton shirt and light blue jeans. Tom Riddle was hunched over her; his wiry frame bent as he searched within the confines of her robes and pulled out her wand._

_The diary lay on the ground momentarily forgotten by Tom as the basilisk crawled out of the drainpipe. It hissed lengthily at Tom who replied in Parsletongue. _

_"There are humansss coming." The snake warned. Tom gave the basilisk a sharp look._

_"Who isss it?" he hissed back._

_"Ssscar." Was the reply._

_"Harry Potter." Riddle said disgusted._

_"Yessss." The snake confirmed._

_"When he gets here, kill him." Tom ordered._

_"Yesss Massster." The snake bobbed its head in a low bow before moving off into the tunnels to wait for its prey._

_Ginny was alarmed, one because Harry was coming and going to be killed, two because Tom had just spoken in Parsletongue and she had understood it. Although her physical body was unresponsive, Ginny's subconscious was going crazy in her mind._

_"What do I do? Why can I understand him?" she wondered then the realization of what was happening hit her. The diary. Tom was keeping her a prisoner in her own mind, keeping her body dormant and unconscious through their connection from the diary. He was in her head controlling her from the inside and she could understand him because of it._

_"I have to do something." Ginny told herself, "But what?"_

_"Turn his plan around on him." Her consciences voice floated in the back of her mind._

_"How?" Ginny asked herself, curious._

_"Go inside his head." Her conscience replied._

_"How do I do that?" Ginny asked bewildered._

_"Concentrate hard, this should come naturally to you Ginny." The voice suggested. _

_Ginny did what she said, not catching what her mind meant by natural. Ginny closed her eyes, although technically they were already shut, and she cleared all thoughts until it was completely blank. Then she projected an image of Tom Riddle in her mind and concentrated all thoughts on him. Ginny imagined herself walking up to him and placing her hands on the sides of his face and stared hard into his eyes with her intense emerald ones. Then she felt a surge of power and her mind was propelled forward and she found herself in Tom Riddle's mind._

_It was dim and hazy, lights shimmering in iridescent waves all around her. Ginny saw tiny little orbs floating all around her, creamy and smooth. Curious, she reached out and grabbed one in her hands and was immediately whisked away into one of Tom Riddle's memories. Ginny found herself in Snape's cold damp dungeon. Bewildered, Ginny looked around and noticed Tom Riddle sitting at a desk, halfheartedly scribbling on a piece of parchment. Ginny looked towards the front of the room and realized that she was not in Snape's dungeon, at least, it wasn't his dungeon yet. Looking down she saw that she was still clasping the glowing orb in her hand, Ginny released it and the memory faded. _

_"These are Tom's memories!" Ginny said in awe as she stared at the glowing orbs surrounding her. It was just like the diary when Tom showed her his past and the dealings with Hagrid._

_"Only this time, he can't twist it to make it look different, these are his raw memories." Ginny said to herself. She gingerly plucked another one out of the air; it wasn't creamy and smooth, but black and jagged. Ginny was once again whisked away to Tom Riddle's deepest memories. When she came back she was stunned, her face had gone ghastly pale and her limbs were shaking savagely._

_"Oh my God." She whispered horrified at what she had seen._

_"What are you doing?" a boyish voice broke through her thoughts. The projection of Ginny whirled around and her eyes widened when she saw a projection of Tom Riddle standing in front of her, cold fury lighting up his face._

_"What did you see?" he asked harshly, glaring at her before glancing around. His eyes caught sight of the black orb hovering over Ginny's shoulders and they narrowed._

_"You should not have done that. Now I'm going to have to kill you." Tom said shaking his head._

_"You already were so I guess there is no difference." Ginny said defiantly_

_"Actually Ginny Weasely, I wasn't. It's only Harry Potter that I seek, you were just my means, but now after what you have witnessed, I'm afraid I will not be able to let you go." Tom said in mock sadness._

_"Goodbye Ginny Weasely." He said, waving farewell. His image began to fade, a chilling smile spreading across his lips as he left, bent on killing Ginny's physical body. Seconds later however, his image flickered before restoring to its original state. Shocked and confused, Tom stood still. Ginny stared at him coldly._

_"I will not let you go." She said steeling herself._

_"Not let me go? Are you the one doing this? How?" he asked, narrowing his eyes at her._

_"I don't really know actually." Ginny confessed. "But I cannot let you kill Harry and I am definitely not letting you kill me." _

_"Well since I can't kill you physically, I'll just have to destroy your mind." He said, laughing evilly as he conjured his wand. Ginny stepped back in apprehension before realizing she could do whatever he could. Ginny concentrated hard on what she wanted and commanded her wand, feeling it settle in her hand. Opening her bright green eyes, Ginny brandished the wand, readying herself for whatever Tom threw at her._

_"What is this? You are going to fight me?" Tom asked with a laugh. "Please, you are a mere child and I am the greatest wizard in the world." _

_"Oh yeah, the greatest wizard in the world huh? I didn't know great wizards could be reduced to their death by little babies who don't even know how to talk." Ginny said sneering at Tom. _

_"You dare mock me child?" Tom thundered, his anger rising._

_"I dare." Ginny replied, staring evenly at him. "Expelliarmus!" she screamed firmly, raising her wand to Tom as sparks of light flew from her wand to disarm Tom._

_"Obliviate!" Tom yelled at the same time, pointing his own wand at Ginny. Tom's spell hit Ginny's, but Tom was too powerful and practiced, his charm defeating hers and hitting Ginny, throwing her roughly to the ground._

_Laughing, Tom lowered his wand arm and walked towards Ginny who was sprawled dazed on the floor._

_"Little Ginny Weasely, I must say I admire your courage. But to even think you could challenge me and defeat me is ludicrous. Unfortunately for you, you won't remember your moment of bravery, in fact, you don't remember anything now." Tom laughed pleasurably at Ginny's memory erase. _

_Ginny rolled over and looked at Tom with confusion written all over her face before narrowing her wide innocent eyes and whipping her wand in his direction._

_"What!" Tom said bewildered, backing away, starting to bring his wand up._

_"Stupefy!" Ginny hollered, casting the hex with all her strength and concentration. The spell hit Tom Riddle forcefully and blew him off his feet, knocking him to the floor cold. _

_"Petrificus Totalus." Ginny said in a controlled voice as Tom's arms and legs pressed tightly against his body, binding his limbs together. Finished, Ginny sighed exhausted and sat down on the floor, her heart and head pounding. _

_"What happened?" she asked herself in amazement. "Why isn't my mind erased?" _

_"That's because even though Tom's spell defeated yours, the spell you cast weakened his greatly and it didn't effect you in the way is should of. The two spells countering created a little shield that protected you from the full force of the spell." Her conscience explained in her mind._

_"But I remember everything, there is nothing I have forgotten." Ginny said puzzled at how the spell affected her. Then her eyes widened as she realized where her mind drew a blank._

_"His memories!" Ginny said distraught._

_"They have been erased, I can't remember what I saw." Ginny said dejectedly_

_"Why did it only erase those memories and not everything that happened after it as well?" Ginny asked._

_"I believe it has to do with his intent in casting the charm and the way your own disarming spell effected his. Tom cast spell to erase all your memory, but when he was, his main focus and intent was to erase the memories that you had obtained by rifling his own. So when your spell damaged his, only his main intent go through since you didn't totally kill the spell, just hurt it severely." Her conscience informed her._

_"This isn't good." Ginny said to herself, "Those memories were important, I know it, why else would he erase them? I just have this feeling that I need them." Ginny whispered to herself._

_"I suggest right now we get out of here before the hexes you did on Tom Riddle fade." Her conscience advised. Ginny nodded in agreement and focused her mind, withdrawing herself from Tom's mind and going back to her own._

_Ginny could hear Harry outside in the chamber fighting the basilisk and Tom's cruel laughter. _

_"Wait, how come he is still awake? He's been stunned!" Ginny wailed._

_"That was his subconscious, Tom is not unconscious like you are so his conscious self is still awake and functioning." Her conscience explained._

_"Oh, great, all that for nothing." Ginny moaned._

_"I wouldn't say that." Her conscience replied. Before Ginny could ask what she meant, Harry plunged the basilisk's fang into the diary, releasing her from Tom's hold and Ginny felt herself physically waking up. _

_"Ginny!" she heard Harry calling her name softly. "Ginny don't die, please don't die." He said frantically, shaking her softly._

_Ginny opened her emerald eyes and met Harry's own bright green ones._

_"Harry." She whispered before collapsing weakly in his arms._

**Present Time**

Ginny Weasely yawned, stretching her arms above her head before setting them back on the kitchen table next to her cold mug of her four hot chocolate. The dream was haunting her and she couldn't sleep, she was afraid to sleep, afraid next time she wouldn't be able to escape the nightmare. She had been sitting at the kitchen table silently since she woke up, just staring outside and now the sun was beginning to rise, its early morning rays wafting in through the windows.

Ginny heard feet moving around upstairs and then thudding of shoes hitting the stairs as they came down. Mr. Weasely walked into the kitchen hurriedly, straightening his tie and robes, breezing by Ginny to brew a pot of coffee, not noticing his daughter sitting there staring at him expectedly. When he noticed the chocolate bar wrappers littering the counter and the empty carton of milk, he turned around slowly.

"Ginny! What are you doing up so early?" he asked in bewilderment as he looked at his only daughter. "You do remember that it is summer and you can sleep in right?"

"Yeah Dad, I just couldn't sleep that's all." Ginny admitted as she twirled her mug on the table.

"Oh I hate that." Mr. Weasely said, "What was it, too hot or something in your room?" he asked.

"Something like that." Ginny answered staring back out the window. Arthur Weasely watched his daughter who was obviously disturbed, but he knew she would talk about it in her own time. Having so many kids taught you that kind of stuff.

"Alright darling, I'm going to work, try to get some sleep." Mr. Weasely said, dropping a kiss on the top of Ginny's messy hair before gathering his folders and apparating. Ginny watched the bewitched clock as her father's arrow left home and a few moments later pointed at work.

Ginny sighed trying to release her tension and got up from the table, walking over to the kitchen sink and placing her mug in it. She turned around and trudged up the stairs towards her room intending to get dressed. She pulled out a pair of dark blue jeans and a black sweater, pulling on some black boots afterwards. School was starting in a few days and they were going to Diagon Alley to get their supplies. Ginny couldn't wait to get back to school because summer had gotten boring.

A few hours later, the rest of the family had woken up along with Harry Potter. Ginny checked herself in the mirror before leaving the confines of her room. Sure it had been five years since she had first met him, but she still had a tiny crush on him. What's wrong with trying to look her best? Ginny trampled downstairs into the kitchen where her Mom, brother and Harry waited patiently for her.

"Ready to go Ginny?" Mrs. Weasely asked her daughter.

"Yup, I'm ready." Ginny affirmed nodding her head as well.

"Let's go then, Ginny you first, then we'll follow behind." Mrs. Weasely decided, motioning for Ginny to move forwards.

Ginny walked towards the fireplace and grabbed the pouch of floo powder resting on top of the mantle. Reaching into the pouch she grasped some of the glittering powder in her hands and cast it into the fire.

"Diagon Alley." Ginny's voice rang out clear before she stepped into the fire that transported her there.

Ginny landed amongst the bustle of witches and wizards and she stayed, waiting patiently for her Mom, Ron and Harry. A flash of pain flitted in her mind and Ginny grabbed her head with her hands as the pain passed. Annoyed, Ginny shook her head and stamped her foot impatiently, they were taking forever. Again a flash of pain swelled in Ginny's head, but it wasn't as fleeting as the previous as Ginny gasped in pain and grabbed her head again, swaying on her feet. Images filtered into her mind, flashing briefly and she couldn't grasp them as she continued to fight against the pain in her head. Finally, the bombardment ended and Ginny sank to her knees panting heavily, still cradling her head in her hands.

"Ginny!" Mrs. Weasely called hysterically, hurrying toward her daughter's side.

"Are you ok Gin?" Ron asked, coming to rest next to her, helping Ginny to her feet.

"I'm fine." Ginny replied in an overwhelmed voice.

"What happened?" Harry asked, standing behind her, placing his hand on her arm.

"I don't know, my head just exploded in pain and then all of a sudden it stopped." Ginny said confused.

"That's weird." Ron commented.

"Yeah, then there were these-" Ginny paused, her green eyes widening. "Oh my gosh!" she screeched as Ron, Harry and her Mom gave her concerned glances.

"I'm starting to remember, but how?" Ginny said, misunderstanding filling her voice.

"Remembering, remembering what?" Harry asked baffled at Ginny's strange behavior.

"I can't really say myself, it's only bits and pieces, but the important thing is that it is coming back!" Ginny said excitedly.

"Ginny, for heaven's sake, what is coming back?" Ron shouted aggravated.

"My memories from the Chamber of Secrets." She whispered.

"Shush Ginny, don't say that aloud!" her mother scolded her, grabbing her arm. "What is this nonsense you are babbling about?"

"Ginny, you already remember everything that happened down there." Ron reminded her.

"Not that stuff, not what Harry did and stuff. What I did." Ginny said.

"Ginny, you didn't do anything, what are you talking about?" Harry asked in wonderment.

"Harry Potter! You weren't there the whole time! You don't know what happened down there, what happened to me, what he did to me." Ginny shouted, her voice growing softer at the end. Horrified that she yelled at Harry, Ginny turned and dashed away from them into the midst of Diagon Alley's crowds.

* * *

Lord Voldemort stopped mid step as he walked with his death eaters.

"My Lord, what is it?" one of them asked concerned.

"She is remembering." He hissed.

"Forgive me my Lord, who is remembering?" the death eater asked puzzled.

"How is this possible?" the Dark Lord mused to himself, oblivious to his followers persistent questions. "I erased her memory of it, she should not be able to remember." He said angrily.

"Who my Lord?" another death eater interrupted his thoughts. Lord Voldemort glared at him shortly before answering

"Ginny Weasely." His replied with a hiss. "I want you to assemble the Dementors, she can no longer be allowed to live, she is starting to remember something vital, I cannot let her alert anyone." He ordered, pointing to the death eater who interrupted him.

"Yes my Lord." He bowed low before hurrying off to do his Master's bidding.

"You cannot escape me this time Ginny." He whispered picturing the redhead in his mind. "You will die."

* * *

Ginny sprinted through the crowd, barging into various witches and wizards as she ran by. Slowing to a halt, Ginny stood in the middle of Diagon Alley, stopping to catch her breath. Ok so it was immature to run away, but she felt really embarrassed, going off on Harry like that, he did save her life down in the Chamber, it's just that, that he doesn't know, no one knows what happened, the battle in her mind against Tom, she told no one.

Ginny shivered as she felt the air around her grow thin and cold. Screams erupted all around Ginny and she looked up and added her screams to the noise. Black ghostly creatures were flying above Diagon Alley, their black capes floating eerily behind them. People scattered in all directions, but Ginny froze on the spot, her horror preventing her from moving. She stared petrified at the Dementors as they drew near her, the iciness of the air threatening to choke her. Her dream, just like her dream

Ginny snapped out of her shock and fled away from the terror flooding the hidden streets of London. Legs pumping hard, Ginny ran blindly through the streets not sure where she was going, but determined to get away from the Dementors, maybe they were not after her. She glanced backwards briefly as she ran and to her utter dismay; the Dementors were right on her tail, hovering near her as she ran. Ginny forced her legs to move faster as she tried to get away, but no matter how fast she went, it seemed as if the Dementors were with her every step of the way and gaining.

The different shops blended in as she ran by, her feet pounding against the gravel street. Ginny didn't notice the pothole until too late. The hole was filled with water that reflected the pavement, masking its identity as Ginny's foot stamped into it, her the toe of her shoe catching the end of the pot hole causing her to lose her balance and fling to the floor. Ginny skidded against the floor, gravel rocks ripping her clothes as she slid across them, tearing her jeans and slicing the skin beneath. She gasped in pain as the tiny cuts began to sting all over. Placing her hands against the gravel, Ginny raised herself off of the ground, putting her left foot down for support. Her right foot she placed next, attempting to run again when she realized, as sharp pains shot up her leg, that she had sprained her ankle.

Gritting her teeth, Ginny looked back at the Dementors who were not very far off and began to run, hobbling at first before gaining speed, a limp hindering how fast she could go. The pain ripped into her with each step she took, but her survival instinct took over, the adrenaline blocking out most of the pain, numbing it until it was reduced to a dull ache. Dirt garbed her face and robes, her black sweater was ripped in several places, and blood seeping through from scrapes and cuts.

She swept around a corner as fast as her leg would allow and ran down a back alley, looking for a way out. Puddles of muddy water sloshed as she pounded through them, dodging broken wooden crates and rusty trash cans. Ginny turned when she reached the end of the alley, expecting another one to go through, but she smashed into a brick wall instead. Stars exploded in her vision, as it clouded to black, her head pounding as hard as her heart. She reached up and grabbed her head with her hands and felt sticky warm blood seep onto her fingers. Ginny woozily grabbed onto the wall for support, her legs becoming wobbly and weakening. Then she remembered:

_She felt them before she heard them, they had caught up to her and she was trapped, nowhere to go and no strength to fight, not that she could beat them even if she did. They stood at the entrance of the alley, black robed bringers of death, then glided effortlessly towards her bringing a chill that even she couldn't escape, a chill that froze her body, that filled her mind, her heart and her soul._

_They were swarming her now, touching her with their ghastly, scaly hands. Ginny lifted her head up weakly, her dull green eyes staring at the one standing in front of her, its black cloak billowing in the night's frosty wind. It reached out with both hands and grabbed Ginny's shoulders, hauling her to her feet, her body protesting earnestly. Ginny stared, powerless to do anything as the Dementor brought its face close to hers and Ginny closed her eyes, waiting for the inevitable, waiting for it to suck out her soul._

Her dream, this is what she dreamt, almost exactly. Cold fear filled her heart when she realized the truth. That's when she heard them, they had reached her, they were coming for her and she had nowhere to run and her head was beginning to swell in her hand, the lose of blood weakening her and Ginny was growing faint. The frostiness hit her next, colder than the ice age, an artic freeze of the soul as well. Ginny was petrified, never had she felt so much fear in her life, reality was darker than the dream.

They flooded the air around her, the mid afternoon sun was blocked out by the amount of them and everything turned black, starless darkness. The hairs stood up on the back of her neck as shivers traveled up her spine. They reached out for her, their scaly hands beckoning her and she couldn't resist them. One of them swooped to hover in front of her, its black robe flowing liquidly around its hidden body. It smelled of death and decay with a hint of burnt flesh. The Dementor reached out and grabbed Ginny's neck, cutting of her air and brought her close, drawing its head to her.

"GINNY!" she faintly heard the voice yelling above the voices now flooding her mind.

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" Harry's strong voice filtered through the air. A brilliant flash of light lit up the alley and Ginny could see the Dementor holding her freeze, its deathly face inches from her.

Harry, Ron and Mrs. Weasely watched as a beautiful silver stag arose from Harry's wand and reared its antlered head before charging the Dementors, making them scattering and draw away from Ginny. When the last one had left, the three ran over to her. Harry caught her as Ginny sank to the floor, no strength left.

"Ginny! Ginny, can you hear me?" Mrs. Weasely asked frantically, tugging on her daughter's robes.

"Mum…" Ginny said weakly, her vision was foggy and she could barely make out dark shapes hovering over her. Her green eyes dulled and rolled in the back of her head and she grew limp in Harry's arms as her mother's screams filled Diagon Alley.

* * *

**That is my first chapter, I hoped you like it. Please read and review! If you are confused at all or have any questions do ask. And please check out my other story, A Viper's Poison, I am currently working on its tenth chapter.**

**.:Angelgrl185:.**


	3. Cliffhanger

Friends Close, Enemies Closer

**.:Angelgrl185:.**

_((I do not own the Harry Potter Series or any of its components))_

* * *

Chapter Two: Cliffhanger

Bright lights and the low murmur of voices awoke Ginny out of her unconscious state a few hours later. Harry, Ron and Mrs. Weasely had brought Ginny back to the Burrow, Mrs. Weasely refusing to leave Ginny's side since the Dementor incident. Ginny opened her eyes slowly and her view was still a little foggy. Ginny recognized her surroundings to be her bedroom; she was lying in the small twin bed with the dumpy mattress and old worn green sheets in the middle of her room. Her mother was standing by the doorway talking to someone Ginny assumed to be a doctor, she couldn't really make out who it was. Ron was pacing around the wooden floor and Harry was staring absent-mindedly at her bedroom ceiling.

"Mom?" Ginny said her voice still groggy. Mrs. Weasely paused mid sentence and spun around to see her bed ridden daughter.

"Ginny? Oh, Ginny thank goodness! We were so worried about you!" Her mother said coming to kneel beside her bed, giving Ginny a tight squeeze.

"Gosh Gin, you scared the crap out of us." Ron said shaking his finger at his sister, a relieved smile on his face.

"How are you feeling Ginny?" a new voice broke in. Ginny looked towards the stranger at the door and took in his merry blue eyes hidden behind small silver spectacles and his snow white beard and hair.

"Professor Dumbledore?" Ginny said in disbelief as he walked from the doorway over to where she lay.

"Seems you've been through quite a scare Miss Weasely." Dumbledore observed as he watched Ginny.

"I guess you could say that." Ginny answered sitting up in her bed, leaning back against her thin pillows.

"Ginny, would you like to tell me what happened?" Dumbledore asked sitting in a chair Harry had brought over for him.

"Well, my Mum, Ron, Harry and I had gone to Diagon Alley to get our new school supplies for the year and my head burst into pain and I fell on the ground. My Mum and the boys helped me up and we got in an argument and I was a little embarrassed cause I yelled at Harry so I ran away." Ginny admitted, looking shyly at Harry.

"It's ok Gin, I shouldn't have doubted you." Harry reassured her.

"What do you think caused this headache?" Dumbledore asked.

"Well, while I had the headache, I got quick flashes of images running through my brain, but I couldn't really make out what they were. It was like they were small pieces of a puzzle and I didn't have all the pieces." Ginny explained.

"Ginny said back in Diagon Alley that they were memories she had received in the Chamber of Secrets." Ron offered, "but she ran away before she could really explain what she meant." Dumbledore looked towards Ginny for an explanation.

"When I was in the Chamber I was unconscious because Tom Riddle was controlling me from inside my head, but he couldn't control my sub conscious or my conscience. I had heard him planning to kill Harry when he came downstairs and I couldn't let that happen so I used our link to go into his mind and try to get him out of mine, but I ended up in his memories. I saw one memory, although I cannot remember it now, that was really important and I knew I had to tell someone, but before I could leave, he appeared. Tom said he had to kill me now that I had seen his memory, but I wouldn't let him so we dueled in his mind. He tried to erase my memory when I tried to stun him and it changed the effects so I only forgot that important memory instead of everything. That's when I left his mind and Harry destroyed the diary." Ginny explained.

""You were battling Tom Riddle in his mind while I was battling him in the Chamber?" Harry asked, looking at Ginny in awe. Ginny just nodded, unsure of what to say.

"Ginny why didn't you say any of this before?" Her mother questioned.

"Well I had forgotten that's why, the flashes I received during the headache were enough to make me remember what had happened." Ginny clarified.

"But you do not remember that specific memory of Tom's yet?" Dumbledore asked.

"Not really, there isn't enough to create a full memory, just miniscule amounts." Ginny replied.

"Tell me what happened after the headache." Dumbledore encouraged Ginny to continue.

"Well after I was running away, it felt a lot colder than before and that's when it got darker and I heard people around me screaming. I looked up and Dementors were swarming the sky around me. I was scared so I began to run, I didn't really know where I was running too, but I knew that I had to get away." Ginny whispered remembering the horror and coldness the Dementors had brought with them. Mrs. Weasely quickly gave Ginny a piece of chocolate who accepted it gratefully.

"Did the Dementors attack multiple people?" Dumbledore questioned.

"No." Ginny said shaking her head. "They only followed me, they chased me for a long time and I was getting tired, I couldn't run anymore. That's when they cornered me at the end of an alley. The one tried to kiss me, that's when Harry, Ron and my Mum came and Harry used his Partronus to scare them away. That's all that I remember." Ginny finished.

Dumbledore sat back in the chair appearing to be thinking hard. His fingers fiddled with his beard, stroking the soft silvery strands.

"What is it Professor?" Harry asked, recognizing Dumbledore's troubled look.

"Those Dementors were chasing Ginny for a reason. Dementors don't just randomly appear and pick on young girls, they follow the Dark Lord's orders now." He explained.

"That means…" Mrs. Weasely started, before covering her mouth with her hands while looking towards Ginny, worry evident on her face.

"Yes, Voldemort knows that Ginny is regaining the memory he made her forget and he is trying to stop her from completing that memory." Dumbledore stated.

"Ginny this means that you are in grave danger, you are no longer safe here. As we speak Voldemort will have things spying on the Burrow." Dumbledore warned her.

"What do we do?" Mrs. Weasely asked clutching Ginny's hand.

"Ginny needs to be protected while she regains her memory." Dumbledore said.

"What about Hogwarts?" Ron said suddenly. "Hogwarts is where Ginny would be safe."

"I'm sorry Ron, but Lord Voldemort won't stop hunting Ginny until she's dead. He will use any means to get to her, even trying to infiltrate Hogwarts." Dumbledore said.

"Hogwarts isn't safe?" Ron whispered backing away from the bed.

"Hogwarts is safe Ron, just not the safest place to keep Ginny." Dumbledore relieved his fears.

"What do you suggest, Sir?" Harry asked.

"I think we need to place Ginny in the Wizarding Protection Agency." Dumbledore suggested.

"But Dumbledore, Ginny would be locked away from all her family and friends." Mrs. Weasely protested.

"I know, but it's the safest way." Dumbledore said gravely.

"Wait, Professor, you said that Voldemort wouldn't stop chasing Ginny until she was dead." Harry said slowly as the other four looked at him confused.

"Harry we can't kill Ginny!" Ron said looking shocked at his best friend.

"No Ron, hear me out, we aren't going to kill Ginny. Can't we pretend to kill Ginny? I mean, stage her death so everyone thinks she's dead?" Harry suggested.

"That's actually not a bad idea." Dumbledore admitted.

"What do you think Ginny?" Harry asked, turning towards the redhead.

"I guess that could work." Ginny said hesitantly.

"Do you have a plan in mind Harry?" Ron asked his friend.

"Well, it has to be something big, with lots of people there." Harry began, "Because we need as many people to see it as we can."

"True, what if we held a back to school picnic?" Ginny commented adding in her suggestions.

"Yeah, a picnic at the huge meadow by our house." Ron said getting into it.

"Exactly and we could have someone dress up as a fake death eater and come to the picnic and kill Ginny." Harry added excitedly.

"Alright Harry, no need to get that into it." Ginny said dryly watching the twinkling in Harry's green eyes.

"What do you think Professor Dumbledore?" Harry said turning towards the wise older man.

"I think it's a good idea, what about you Molly?" Dumbledore inquired turning towards Mrs. Weasely.

"Well as long as everything goes perfectly and Ginny is in no danger, then I guess it would be ok." Mrs. Weasely decided.

"Alright, I leave it up to you all to plan it, what do you think about the weekend before we return to Hogwarts?" Dumbledore suggested.

"That's fine, are you going to be there?" Ginny asked him.

"No that would cause suspicion so I think it's best I stay away and let it be just a student affair." Dumbledore decided. "Now I think we should all leave Miss Weasely alone and let her get some more rest." He said standing up. Harry, Ron and Mrs. Weasely followed his example and walked outside. Dumbledore however didn't leave, but sat back down.

"Ginny, I have a proposition for you." Dumbledore started. Ginny looked at him curiously.

"When we fake your death, you will have to be placed inside the Wizard Protection Agency anyways to make sure no one sees you. I have a problem with this because I feel that all young witches and wizards need to finish their schooling. What I am about to tell you, you cannot repeat to anyone and will be our little secret. Do you promise?" Dumbledore asked her.

"I promise." Ginny swore.

"Good, now there is a way for you to still attend Hogwarts after all this commences." Dumbledore started.

"Really?" Ginny questioned excitedly.

"Yes, but something needs to happen first." Dumbledore added.

"What is that?" Ginny asked bewildered.

"We need to change your identity." Dumbledore replied. Ginny's green eyes went wide.

"How do we do that? Is that possible?" she asked in disbelief.

"Yes, but it is so rarely done that no one knows about it. It is a top-secret research. You will be required to take a potion every week that will change your appearance and voice. Your mind and personality, all that stuff will remain the same. Just your identity will change." Dumbledore clarified.

"You mean we can actually do that?" Ginny asked in wonder.

"Yes Ginny."

"This is amazing! I can still be in Gryffandor with all my friends!" Ginny exclaimed excitedly.

"That's another thing Ginny, you won't be allowed to be in Gryffandor anymore, you need to be placed in a new house." Dumbledore added apologetically.

"What? How is that possible? I was sorted into Gryffandor." Ginny protested.

"Yeah, but just for precaution you can't have anything the same as the person you are now. You will not be sorted again, we'll just place you in a new house." Dumbledore explained.

"Which house?" Ginny asked her green eyes narrowing.

"Slytherin." Dumbledore state evenly.

"WHAT!" Ginny shrieked loudly as Dumbledore gave her a pointed look to be quieter.

"You cannot place me in Slytherin." Ginny hissed.

"Miss Weasely, understand that I am acting in your best interest. I would appreciate it if you would trust my judgment." Dumbledore said calmly.

"I'm sorry, Sir, I do, it's just that, Slytherin?" Ginny said doubtfully, shaking her head.

"Yes Ginny, I feel that the safest place for you to be in is Slytherin, where Voldemort came from himself. He would not expect it, wouldn't even dream of finding you there." Dumbledore explained.

"You are right. I'm sorry for yelling." Ginny apologized, seeing his logic.

"I am going to leave you now, you have a lot on your mind and you need some rest." Dumbledore said simply, getting to his feet.

"Goodbye Sir." Ginny called, waving at him as he left. She laid back down in her bed, grabbing the pillow with both arms and resting her head on it. Ginny sighed as she stared at her bedroom wall. Things were getting scary.

* * *

It was a bright sunny day, puffy white clouds floating aimlessly in the clear blue sky. Ginny breathed in deeply, drinking in the fresh air and wonderful scents of the wildflowers dotting the meadow. It was a glorious day to die. Ginny giggled softly at that thought before getting serious. Her life was going to change for better or worse today. She smiled welcomingly as she watched her classmates and housemates appear before her. They all held baskets of food or blankets. It was a brilliant idea really, Harry's picnic idea. It seems that half the school had shown up along with parents.

Ginny looked around and noticed Hermoine setting up their picnic blanket at the end of the meadow, near the cliffs. Ginny jogged over to help her set up.

"Hey Hermoine, beautiful day isn't it?" Ginny asked as she picked up the other end of the blanket to help her friend.

"Simply gorgeous Ginny, hello to you." Hermoine replied. "Where are Ron and Harry?" she added looking around for the two boys.

"Probably talking to Seamus or someone." Ginny said with a shrug.

"This was a really great idea, to have a welcome back picnic." Hermoine complimented her.

"Oh it wasn't my idea, it was Harry's." Ginny informed her, waving away Hermoine's praise.

"Really?" Hermoine said in amazement. "I didn't know Harry was so thoughtful." She added.

"Neither did I." Ginny said with a smile.

"Ginny! Hermoine!" Ron's voice cut in through their conversation as he ran towards them. "Let's eat, I'm starved." He complained, plopping onto the blanket. Harry appeared a few seconds later and sat down next to him.

"What about everyone else?" Hermoine asked.

"They're already eating and stuff." Harry said reaching for some food.

"Oh."

"So Ginny, excited about starting your fifth year?" Hermoine asked turning towards the other girl.

"Um, yeah." Ginny said strangely looking down at her plate. Hermoine gave her a questioning look before turning her gaze to Harry and Ron, her eyes asking them what was wrong. Harry just shrugged and Ron looked away, picking at his food.

"Alright, what is going on?" Hermoine demanded placing her hands on her hips.

"Nothing." Ron said biting into a piece of chicken.

"Liar." Hermoine determined.

"It's nothing really Hermoine, we're just faking my death today." Ginny said nonchalantly as she grabbed a piece of chicken for herself.

"WHAT?" Hermoine yelled. Three pairs of eyes shot to her and three mouths shushed her.

"Hermoine, be quiet!" Harry whispered urgently, clasping her mouth with his hands.

"What are you three babbling about?" Hermoine questioned fiercely. Ginny sighed and explained everything that had happened yesterday.

"Dumbledore agreed to this ludicrous plan?" Hermoine said in disbelief sitting back on the blanket.

"Yes." Harry answered.

"When is it happening?" she asked.

"Soon, my dad is playing the death eater." Ron informed her.

"Are you afraid that he's going to be attacked by all the students and parents here?" Hermoine questioned glancing around at all the blankets littering the meadow with people eating.

"Dumbledore cast some sort of shielding charm on him so their spells won't affect him if they try anything." Ron explained.

"Oh, that was a good idea." Hermoine said thoughtfully.

Screams interrupted their conversation as students launched themselves off their blankets, running hazardously in all directions. Three black forms ascended from the sky as everyone watched in terror.

"Uh, Ron, there are three of them. I thought it was only supposed to be your dad." Hermoine said pointing to the three death eaters who had appeared.

"It was." Ron replied staring at them. "I don't think any of them are my dad." He added his face growing pale.

"You mean those are real death eaters?" Ginny whispered, her face blanching in fear.

"I think he's right." Harry replied.

"Oh no, what do we do?" Hermoine said frantically watching the death eaters come closer to them.

"RUN!" Ron yelled, but as the four tried to scatter, they were attacked with stunning spells. Ron, Harry and Ginny managed to dodge them, but Hermoine was hit and fell to the floor.

"Hermoine!" Ron yelled, running over to her fallen form. "Harry help me!" he yelled looking back at his friend. Harry raced towards them until a low voice range out.

"IMPERIUS!" the spell hit Ron dead on and the force knocked Harry off his feet, flipping him in the air where he landed yards away.

"RON!" Ginny screamed at her brother whose body was no longer under his control. He looked up at Ginny, an evil glint in his eyes and began moving towards her, his arms reached out. The death eaters laughed gleefully as they watched Ron heading towards his sister, not remembering or noticing Harry Potter in the background.

"Accio Firebolt. Accio invisibility cloak." Harry whispered to himself, waiting for his possessions to arrive as he watched Ron reach Ginny who had backed away to the edge of the cliff and grab her roughly.

"Ron no! You don't want to do this!" Ginny screamed as her brother's fist clenched around her throat cutting off her air. She gasped and choked, struggling against his iron grip. Her auburn hair flared wildly in the wind as she felt herself being lifted off the ground by Ron. She turned her head and saw that she was hovering over the edge of the cliff.

"Please! Please I beg you Ron, do not drop me! Don't do this to me!" Ginny pleaded with her brother, tears filling her green eyes. This time he smirked coldly then released his fingers from their hold around her neck and Ginny fell.

"NOOOOO!" she screamed, arms flailing wildly.

Ginny felt as if she was moving in slow motion. Her body jerked around wildly, yet slowly as her lips parted emitting a ghastly scream. Her stomach was queasy, her heart felt as if it had plummeted to the pit of it and she was shaking uncontrollably as she fell. Fear encased her heart and mind as she tumbled endlessly through the air with incredible force, gaining speed as she fell.

The death eaters crackled from their stance as they watched Ron Weasely dispose of his sister Ginny. Hermoine recovered from her stun and whipped out her wand, shooting a stunning spell back at them. The death eaters were caught surprised and dropped to the floor, knocked out, breaking their hold on Ron. Ron stepped back from the cliff, a worried look on his face as he turned around and ran to Hermoine. She pulled him into a hug sobbing hard.

"Hermoine what is it?" Ron asked looking into her brown eyes.

"It's Ginny." She cried causing Ron to become alarmed.

"What about Ginny? Where is she?" Ron questioned.

"She fell off the cliff." Hermoine cried.

"How?" Ron asked.

"They put the Imperius Curse on you Ron. They made you throw Ginny off the cliff." Hermoine revealed. Ron reeled back in shock, horrified by what he heard.

"I killed Ginny?" he gasped, "I killed my sister?"

"Ron it wasn't your fault." Hermoine pleaded with him, "You couldn't do anything."

"I should have been able to fight it, like Harry can." Ron said angrily.

"Harry, Harry!" Hermoine said, remembering their friend. "Where's Harry?"

"I don't know. Harry?" Ron yelled loudly.

"Ron I think we should get out of here, everyone is gone and the death eaters might wake up." Hermoine suggested.

"Your right, let's go." Ron said, grabbing her hand dragging her through the meadow towards the Burrow. Hermoine glanced back to the cliff, tears pouring down her cheeks.

"Goodbye Ginny." She whispered.

* * *

Harry's broom and cloak sped towards him, coming to rest right in front. Harry grabbed the cloak and threw it on, becoming invisible. He acted then, grabbing his Firebolt and mounting it before racing towards the edge of the cliff, spilling over it and flying downward at a neck breaking speed. He heard Ginny's screams as he flew and saw her down below him, her body flailing around in the heavy air. He urged his broom faster until he was dead even with her. Harry maneuvered the broom under Ginny and her eyes widened as she felt the handle under her. Harry moved the cloak around Ginny too and she realized what had happened. Grateful, Ginny wrapped her arms tightly around Harry and squeezed him hard, afraid to let him go as he sped away from the cliff climbing high into the air until both were no longer visible.

Harry touched down lightly in the soft green grass in the front yard of the Burrow, letting Ginny ease off the back of the broom. Together, still underneath the invisibility cloak, they walked inside the Burrow. Mrs. Weasely was sobbing hard against Mr. Weasely's chest, her shoulders wracking with the force. Ron sat at the kitchen table staring blankly at the wall, a guilty look on his face while Hermoine sobbed next to him, her head in her hands. Dumbledore sat quietly in the corner looking thoughtful and looked up when Harry and Ginny walked in still not visible. Harry took the cloak off himself only, his body randomly popping out of the air alarming everyone in the kitchen except Dumbledore.

"Harry!" Mrs. Weasely cried, running over to Harry and throwing her arms around him. "We thought we had lost you too."

"Harry where were you?" Ron questioned. "Ginny's dead."

"No she's not." Harry replied.

"Harry, I know it's a hard thing to accept, but she fell off the cliff." Hermoine answered solemnly.

"Ginny is not dead." Harry protested. "I have her right next to me underneath the cloak. We didn't want any of Voldemort's spies to see her." He explained hurriedly.

"You have Ginny?" Mrs. Weasely gasped, looking frantically around the room for her baby girl.

"I think it would be wise to go upstairs to a secluded room." Dumbledore advised.

"You're right Albus." Mr. Weasely agreed. "Let's go to Ginny's room, it will look like we're grieving." He added. Everyone trooped upstairs together, Ginny trailing behind wearing Harry's invisibility cloak. Immediately when they reached Ginny's room, Mrs. Weasely whirled around and looked around.

"Alright Ginny, you can come out now." She commanded looking for Ginny. Ginny slipped off the cloak and appeared before her friends and family.

"Ginny!" Ron called out, rushing to give her a hug, looking extremely relieved. The rest of the Weasely family present surrounded Ginny, giving her hugs and kisses as she tried to fend them off.

"Ginny, I think it's time for us to be going." Dumbledore interrupted.

"What is this Albus? Mrs. Weasely questioned.

"I have to leave Mum, it's not safe for me here anymore." Ginny explained.

"But, they think you are dead now, they won't look for you." Mrs. Weasely protested.

"Molly, they still have spies anywhere, if any of them glances Ginny our charade will be up. We have to hide her until it is safe." Dumbledore said.

"And when will that be Albus? When Voldemort is defeated?" Mrs. Weasely said angrily.

"Maybe so Molly, maybe so." Dumbledore answered solemnly. "Let's go Ginny." He said heading towards the door. "Harry, do you think we could borrow your cloak?"

"Yeah sure Professor." Harry replied, throwing Ginny the cloak.

"Goodbye." Ginny said, giving her family hugs. She walked over to Hermoine and gave her a tight hug before walking over to Harry.

"Thank you for saving my life Harry Potter." She whispered in his ear before kissing him softly on the cheek and walking out of his life until further notice. Harry placed a hand on his cheek where Ginny's plush lips had brushed it, his green eyes staring at her as she walked out of the door.

"Goodbye Ginny Weasely."

* * *

**That would be all for chapter two! I hope you enjoyed it and please review! **

**.:Angelgrl185:.**


	4. A New Beginning

Friends Close, Enemies Closer

**.:Angelgrl185:.**

((I do not own the Harry Potter Series or any of its components))

* * *

Thank you to all who review my story so far!

**SlytherinsWench:** I'm glad you feel my plotline is unique! I hope I can fulfill you

expectations!

**Darkangel1**: Thanks for the review!

**Starlitestarbritelilsis:** Spooky eh? Good, it was supposed to be that way, I'm glad you

enjoyed it!

**Paige2310:** Thanks for the review!

**Starrynight12312: **Thanks for the review!

* * *

Chapter Three: A New Beginning

* * *

Ginny Weasely sat nervously in a hard plastic chair, her fingers toying with her auburn hair, her feet gently swinging to and fro under her chair. She was sitting inside the Ministry of Magic in the office for the Protection of Wizards next to a window of a very large lab. She peered inside, looking to see what it held for that was where she was to go next when the doctor arrived. A soft glow of light illuminated the room from dim ceiling lights letting Ginny make out what was inside the laboratory. A large table sat in the middle of the room with a few trays next to it containing sharp knives and mirrors. Ginny could make out a cooler of potions against the wall and another cooler containing multi colored vials of liquid. A chair not unlike a dentist's chair was located near the table and she could see leather straps at the feet, hands and chest. A large device was located near the head and Ginny couldn't make out what it was. Saws and other sharp objects were handing around the room creating a sinister look and making Ginny even more nervous.

"Don't worry, we won't be using any of that on you." A deep voice spoke causing Ginny to jump in her seat. She placed a hand over her chest as if to calm her beating heart.

"None of it?" she asked still unsure as she eyed the equipment warily.

"None of it. You are going to be taking a new potion." He replied.

"Oh." She chirped.

"I'm Doctor Travis Philips and I will be handling your case." Dr. Philips said holding out his hand towards Ginny.

"I'm Ginny Weasely." She introduced herself as she shook the doctor's hand.

"Miss Weasely, it is a pleasure to meet you, now please follow me if you will." Dr. Philips said with a smile before unlocking the lab door and entering it. Ginny hesitantly followed, still unsure of the surroundings, but jumped on the table when Dr. Philips pointed to it.

"Let me just find the right one and then I'll explain every thing you need to know about it before you take it." Dr. Philips said as he moved towards the cooler holding the potions. He drew out a bright green one from one of the slots and carried it back towards Ginny.

"Alright, this is called the Transitory Potion. This will change your physical appearance to that of another person. I cannot tell you what you will look like; the potion works with a person's genes so the changes are different each time. I can only tell you that the changes are usually opposite of your original appearance." Dr. Philips explained.

"Now, you need to take this every two weeks, Dumbledore said he is willing to keep a supply for you so whenever you need to take it, he will provide the Transitory Potion for you. Do you understand that?" Dr. Philips asked her and Ginny nodded her head.

"Good, let's see, there shouldn't be any side effects of the potion besides slight headaches or dizziness since you will be experiencing a physical change, but after a while you should stop getting them. Are you fine will all this" Dr. Philips asked and Ginny nodded again.

"I'm going to need you to sign a few things for me." Dr. Philips said as he handed Ginny a clipboard with a couple papers on it. He pointed to all the places where she needed to sign as he explained which each one was.

"This one shows that you are in fact Ginny Weasely and are liable if anything goes wrong, not me or the Ministry of Magic. This one shows that you understand all the effects and procedures of the Transitory Potion. This one says that you will tell no one of your identity change until it is no longer necessary and finally, this one says that no matter what your new physical appearance is, you will not sue me or the Ministry of Magic." Dr. Philips explained as Ginny willingly signed each one.

"Excellent, are you ready to take the potion now?" Dr. Philips asked her.

"Where's Professor Dumbledore?" Ginny asked instead of answering.

"He said he would be here shortly." Dr. Philips responded then noticed the figure outside the lab. "Ah, there he is now."

"Hello Ginny, Good evening Dr. Philips." Dumbledore said as he entered the room.

"How are you feeling Ginny?" he asked looking at the nervous red head.

"I'm ok, just a little scared. She answered truthfully.

"That's to be expected." Dr. Philips remarked. "Do you want to take it now?"

"Yes please." Ginny replied as Dr. Philips handed her a glass goblet in which he had poured the Transitory Potion.

Ginny gingerly sniffed the potion and wrinkled her freckled nose in distaste. It smelled awful, like Ron's sweaty socks mixed with the smell of George and Fred's rotten food they have all over their room. She pinched her nose with her fingers trying not to gag from the smell and quickly guzzled the potion down trying to get it over with. First of all it tasted as wretched as it smelled, but Ginny's stomach couldn't really react because the potion made her entire body go numb, she could no longer move. Ginny immediately panicked at the lost of her motor functions instantly thinking that something had gone wrong, maybe Dr. Philips had given her the wrong potion of something. All of a sudden, she felt a warm sensation spread through her body melting away the numbness and she could move her body again.

"Uh, Dr. Philips, I don't think the potion worked." Ginny said dejectedly until she heard her own voice. She yelped in surprise and covered her mouth with her hands. Her voice was low and raspy, nothing like the sweet musical voice she was used to hearing come out of her mouth.

"Oh really? How about you take a look then." Dr. Philips said as he looked at her with a mixture of pride at his accomplishment and laughter at Ginny's reaction to her new voice.

Ginny walked over to the other side of the room where Dr. Philips had pointed out a bathroom. She walked in cautiously and stopped in the doorway, refusing to look in the mirror.

"I can't do it." She said fearfully.

"Yes you can, you already took the potion, what's done is done. Aren't you a little bit curious to see what you look like now?" Dr. Philips asked.

"Yes, but I'm also afraid of what I look like now, I was perfectly fine with how I looked before." Ginny replied still straddling the doorway.

"Go ahead Ginny, it's alright, just remember, this is only temporary." Professor Dumbledore encouraged her. Ginny took a deep breath, closed her eyes and walked into the bathroom, then turned to face the mirror. She peeked open her eyes, but couldn't really get a glimpse of her new appearance through her squinted eyes. Slowly Ginny opened her eyes and looked at herself in the mirror.

The sight of her new appearance wanted her to scream out in horror. Her once beautiful wavy auburn hair was now a lifeless, limp brown, cropped short just under her chin. Her bright green eyes had been transformed into a dull brown. The only thing that was the same was her pale white skin although it was no longer creamy and dotted with cute freckles; it was now dry and ashy. She couldn't help it, hot tears of frustration and horror pour out of her eyes, making the dullness of her color brighten just the tiniest bit with the moisture. Ginny left the bathroom sobbing hysterically, she was ugly, hideous, didn't even deserve to walk the earth as a human.

"Ginny, it's not all that bad." Dumbledore observed as he drew near to the hysterical girl.

"It's hideous professor, I'm hideous." Ginny sobbed.

"Ah, you make think you are hideous, but once you get used to how you look now, it will grow on you. Besides, no one knows that you are Ginny Weasely; you can make a new identity with your new look, a bold one or a meek one. Whichever you chose, it is up to you." Dumbledore said in a soft comforting voice. Ginny hiccupped and wiped away the stream of tears on her face.

"Do you think you are ready now?" Professor Dumbledore asked her gently.

"Yes, I'm a little more rational and calm now." Ginny replied with a weak smile.

"Come with me then Miss Weasely." Dumbledore said extending his arm to Ginny.

"Wait, wait." Dr. Philips protested when Ginny and Dumbledore were about to walk out.

"Yes Doctor?" Dumbledore asked with an eyebrow raised. The doctor didn't reply right away, but snapped a quick picture of Ginny's new appearance.

"She can't go around answering to Ginny Weasely anymore, she needs a new name to along with her new appearance." The doctor explained.

"That's right." Ginny replied.

"Alright then, Ginny, what would you like to be called now?" Dumbledore asked looking at her. Ginny answered with the first name that popped into her head.

"Angelina, Angelina Gracin." She replied satisfied with her new name, at least that part of her new self would be beautiful.

"Well then Miss Angelina Gracin, your new life awaits you." Dumbledore said dramatically, sweeping his hand before him with grand flourish. Ginny giggled at his antics and flounced out the door, butterflies filling her stomach as she was about to face the world as a new person.

* * *

It was a crisp clear night when Ginny arrived back at Hogwarts. A multitude of stars streamed in the sky like a river of glittering light, illuminating the castle with a soft glow. Ginny was ushered through the halls of Hogwarts until she arrived at the great hall which was already brimming with excited students and nervous first years, the sorting of them had already started. Ginny stood to the side of the great hall as she watched first year after first year walk slowly to the front of the hall and place the tattered black hat on their head before a booming voice declared which house they would be joining. Naturally, all the houses broke into undaunted applause when a new underling was added to their crew.

'Will they do that for me?' Ginny asked herself as she turned her gaze to the Slytherin table where Draco Malfoy was leading the rampage of whistles and hoots for the new girl who had just been added to their numbers.

'Will the Slytherins welcome me with open arms?' she wondered as they clapped the new girl on the back with broad grins and jokes.

'Why wouldn't they? As far as they know, you are a dirty evil wizard just like them.' Her mind reminded her.

'True, but what if they see through me?' she asked worriedly.

'They won't, you'll be fine, just be natural.' Her mind suggested.

'Natural? Natural would have Malfoy teasing me to no end. I think I'll pass on natural. I need to be confident, a new me.' Ginny decided. Her thoughts were interrupted as the sorting ended and Professor Dumbledore stood up at the head table.

"Good evening young wizards, welcome back to Hogwarts! To all the new students we have this year, welcome to our humble abode and I hope you find your time here a jubilating experience." Dumbledore said with a dramatic sweep of his hands as he lifted them in the air.

"I have a few announcements before we start off the New Year. Mr. Filch has extended the list of things not allowed at Hogwarts; I trust you will look at the new list at his office if you are interested. Also, I'd like to welcome the new defense against the dark arts teacher Travis Philips." Dumbledore added swinging his hands toward the tall, dark curly haired man sitting next to him. Ginny's eyes widened when she saw the doctor and wondered why they didn't tell her that he was going to be the new DADA teacher.

"Finally, I would like you all to welcome our new student Angelina Gracin. Angelina would you please come here." Dumbledore said motioning for Ginny to join him. Ginny walked hesitantly to the front and joined Dumbledore.

"Angelina has transferred to Hogwarts and has already been sorted into the Slytherin house. Please give a warm welcome to Angelina and make sure that she feels at home here." Dumbledore announced to Slytherins' joy.

The entire table erupted into cheers and shouts that "Angelina" had joined their side. Malfoy stood up and whistled loudly obviously smug that the first transferred student had been placed in the Slytherin table, not the god forsaken Gryffandor table. The rest of the hall clapped politely at Angelina's arrival, but did not seem too interested in her except only to wonder where exactly she had transferred from.

At the grand reception Ginny had received from the Slytherin table, she no longer felt unsure of herself, but walked confidently over to the Slytherin table, even swaying her hips with a little attitude as she sauntered by the Gryffandor table. She looked briefly at Harry, Ron and Hermoine, but they didn't recognize her, of course. Ginny walked right up to the Slytherin table and was immediately greeted by Draco Malfoy himself.

"Welcome to Slytherin Angelina." Malfoy said with a smug expression on his face. Ginny had to fight to keep a disgusted look from appearing on her face. He held out his hand, expecting Ginny to shake it. Ginny gingerly reached out her hand and clasped it with Malfoy's trying to ignore the fact that Malfoy was coming in contact with her skin. She only let her hand linger in his long enough to shake then quickly withdrew them as if she was being burned. If Malfoy noticed her weird behavior, he paid no mind.

"My name is Draco Malfoy, you can just call me Draco." He said casually.

"I'm Angelina Gracin as you all well know, you can call me Angelina." Ginny replied politely as she secretly wiped her hand on her robes, trying to get of anything his nasty self might have passed on to her when they touched.

"Well Angelina, have a seat and eat something." Malfoy said pointing to an empty chair a few seats down. Ginny forced a smile and walked over to the available chair, sitting next to an exotic looking girl.

"Hey Angelina, my name is Blaise Zambini." The girl said flipping back her thick raven hair over her shoulders as she reached out a hand towards Ginny.

"Nice to meet you." Ginny said as she shook Blaise's hand.

"So where did you transfer from?" Blaise asked, her bright blue eyes sparkling with curiosity.

"Ugh, I ah." Ginny panicked as she tried to think of an answer, Dumbledore had never really given her an alibi!

"Zambini, leave Angelina alone and let her eat something before you bombard her with your ridiculous questions." Malfoy ordered from a few seats over. Blaise threw Malfoy an annoyed look, but let Ginny eat. Ginny flashed a grateful look at Malfoy before she realized what she had done and turned stonily away. Malfoy looked at Ginny, confused by her weird behavior, but shrugged it off as nerves; he was dashingly good looking after all.

Ginny dug into the feast before her happy to see that each table go the same things to eat and that the Slytherins didn't eat eyeballs or newt tongues or something weird like that. As she was beginning to dig into her chicken pie, Dumbledore once again rose to his feet and commanded the attention of all the students.

"I have one more announcement to make, I was hesitant to say this before, but I feel that you all deserve to hear it. Some of you may have been wondering where Miss Ginny Weasely is." Dumbledore started looking at all the students who began to mutter to each other. Ginny immediately froze, fork halfway to her mouth when she heard her name.

"Unfortunately, last week while at a back to school picnic she had helped organize, Ginny Weasely was attacked by three death eaters along with everyone else at the picnic. Ginny could not escape and was thrown off a cliff by the death eaters and killed." Dumbledore said to the gasps and shock of the students. Boys and girls alike stared with their eyes wide, hands covering their mouths as Dumbledore broke the news. Ron, Harry and Hermoine sat silently at the table, trying to fake sadness over Ginny's apparent death, but they knew what really had happened and that she was in a protection ward somewhere.

"Tomorrow we will be having a ceremony outside for Ginny Weasely, I suggest you all try to be there and remember what a delight she was to have in the school." Dumbledore finished as he looked around the room, his eyes settling on Ginny just for a moment before continuing their sweep of the room.

"One of the Weasels died eh? That's just too bad." Malfoy snickered in mock sadness.

"Get off it Draco, grow up. We all know you don't like the family, but one of them died. That's not something to laugh about." Blaise snapped irritably.

"Geeze Blaise, if I didn't know better, I would say that you went soft over the summer. Staying with your batty aunt change your perspective on life?" Draco sneered.

"Shut up Draco, I'm just saying that laughing over a death is different then laughing over a prank." Blaise said.

"Well thank you for that lovely piece of mind you just gave us Blaise, next time, keep it to yourself." Malfoy laughed. Blaise rolled her eyes and went back to her food.

"That was nice the way you stuck up for that family." Ginny said sincerely to Blaise.

"Yeah, well, I just feel bad that's all. I know what its like to lose a family member. My favorite cousin was killed by death eaters a couple years ago." Blaise explained.

"Wow, I didn't know." Ginny said.

"How could you? You just transferred here." Blaise said with a short laugh.

"Yeah, that's true." Ginny said with a nervous laugh. This was going to be a little bit harder than she thought.

"Well I don't care what Malfoy thinks, I'm going to go to the service tomorrow, pay my respects." Blaise decided, "Do you want to go?"

"Yeah, I'll go with you." Ginny answered.

"Cool." Blaise said before she went back to eating. Ginny pushed back her plate and sat back in her chair. It was going to be so weird, going to her own memorial service tomorrow. What will people say about her? Everything was so different and confusing, her world was just tumbling around and around and there was nothing Ginny could do to stabilize it. She just hoped that everything would turn out ok.

* * *

**That's the end of chapter Three, sorry for the long wait, I had just finished my other story and I was excited. I know this chapter isn't all that entertaining, but next chapter will be more action packed and interesting. I just need a transitional chapter for Ginny's new appearance and entrance into Hogwarts. Please Review!!**

**.:Angelgrl185:.**


	5. Deep Submerge

Friends Close, Enemies Closer

**.:Angelgrl185:.**

_((I do not own the Harry Potter series of any of its components))_

* * *

_Thanks for the reviews of Chapter Three_

**Eve Granger:** Thank you for the review! Sorry it took so long to get the next chapter out.

**Twinsrthebest:** Thank you for the review! Glad you like it!

**Potts:** Thanks for the review! I plan too.

**Go Canada:** Thanks for the review! I have no intention of abandoning this story, it just slowed down cause I was finishing my other story, which is now done. I'm just a little worn out so I might not be updating this as much as Viper's Poison, but I'll definitely be writing it.

* * *

Chapter Four: Deep Submerge

* * *

Ginny followed Blaise through the castle down towards the dungeons until she stopped before a large painting. 

"Grindylow." Blaise said to the portrait causing it in turn to swing open. She turned to Ginny, "Grindylow is the password to get into our house. Each house has its own portrait guarding the entrance with its own personal password. You can't get into any other house that way." She explained as Ginny nodded pretending she didn't know that already.

Blaise turned around and walked through the portrait, Ginny following her. The Slytherin house wasn't much different than the Gryffandor one, Ginny observed, except for the colors. The floor of the common room was covered with plush emerald green carpet; the walls were cold stones of gray. Large torches burned in all the corners of the room and a trench of fire went around the outer walls. That was definitely not in the Gryffandor common room, as a matter of fact, it reminded Ginny a little of the Chamber of Secrets. Ginny shuddered involuntarily when she realized the similarities between the two places.

"No wonder though, he made them both." She murmured under her breath as she looked around.

"What was that?" Blaise asked turning towards her.

"I was wondering where my room was." Ginny lied.

"Oh it's up the stairs." Blaise explained, pointing to a set of spiraling stairs located on the right side of the room. "The boys' room is up that side." Blaise said switching to the opposite side of the room. Ginny nodded her understanding. She followed Blaise as she went up towards the girls' dormitory.

"Your bed is over there." She said pointing again, this time at a four-poster bed near a window. "Mine is right next to it." Blaise said pointing to the left. Ginny walked over to her bed and sat down on it.

The sheets were emerald green and satin with silver trim along it. A thick silver wool blanket was on top of the sheets with the Slytherin logo sewn on the front. Her bed had an emerald green canopy hanging down from the sides as well. Ginny lay back against the soft bed and let her head sink into the feather pillows.

"This is really nice." She said, her voice filled with awe, it was definitely nicer than the Gryffandor beds anyways.

"Yeah, we have the nicest house out of all of them. Salazar definitely liked to feel rich and built a really nice house. I guess that's what happens when you are used to being rich." Blaise said with a shrug.

"Blaise are you up there?" a voice shouted from down the stairs.

"Yeah Draco what is it?" Blaise yelled poking her head from out the door.

"I need you, I'm having trouble with this stupid homework Snape gave us." Draco shouted back.

"Why can't he just come up here?" Ginny asked innocently although she already knew the answer.

"Boys aren't allowed in the girls dormitory, there is some magical spell that prevents them." Blaise explained.

"Is it the same with girls going into boys." Ginny wondered.

"No, that's what's so weird." Blaise shrugged again and headed back downstairs with Ginny following her. Malfoy was waiting impatiently at the bottom and it was all Ginny could do to keep from glaring at the pompous idiot.

"What makes you think I can help you Draco? You are the best at potions in Slytherin, why don't you go ask Granger for help?" Blaise teased enjoying the startled look of disgust that appeared on Draco's face at the mention of Hermoine teaching him something.

"Just thought maybe your brain started to function today and see if you knew anything." Draco smirked nodding hello to Ginny.

"Let me see it." Blaise demanded rolling her eyes and holding out her hand. Malfoy dropped the instructions in her hands and she quickly read them.

"I can't get the potion to turn out the right color and I don't know what I'm going wrong." Malfoy complained.

"Yeah, yeah hold on." Blaise muttered as her eyes skimmed the page. She looked over at Malfoy's pot and ingredients.

"Well you got all the ingredients right, you must not have put them in the pot in the right order or something." Blaise said handing the papers back.

"I did, I checked and did it again, making sure it was in the right order, I even had Pansy check." Draco said running his fingers through his silvery blond hair in frustration. Ginny couldn't help but smirk at his predicament and covered her mouth with her hand to stifle a giggle. Malfoy shot her an irritated look.

"What Angelina, think you can do better? Your other school make you an expert on potions or something?" Malfoy asked mockingly.

"No, I'm just not an idiot who can't follow directions." Ginny shot back causing Malfoy to drop his jaw at her insult.

"What did you call me?" he asked.

"Give me the paper." Ginny said holding out her hand. Malfoy just looked at her blankly. "Give me the paper Malfoy." Ginny said emphasizing his last name. Malfoy shook his head and handed her the parchment still awed by the fact that she had openly insulted him. Blaise too was staring in wonder at Ginny as the girl read through the parchment.

"It says here you were supposed to mince the fig, did you do that?" Ginny asked shooting her gaze at Malfoy.

"I cut it up." Malfoy nodded.

"That's wonderful, anyone can cut, now did you mince it?" Ginny said sarcastically.

"What's the difference?" Malfoy shrugged.

"The difference is that mincing is cutting up the fig into very tiny pieces and they all need to be equal in size, just cutting them it hacking it to pieces of various size." Ginny explained exasperated. She really hated it when people didn't do their potions right, just the way she was.

"Oh. I'll do that this time." Malfoy said grabbing the paper back and heading over to his cauldron. He quickly redid the potion and this time, instead of a dull gray it turned into a pale yellow.

"Nice job Angelina." Malfoy said nodding at Ginny. Ginny rolled her eyes and walked away muttering about idiot Slytherins. Blaise walked away from Malfoy and hurried to catch up with Ginny.

"Angelina, what was that?" she asked.

"What are you talking about?" Ginny said confused.

"You called Draco an idiot!" Blaise reminded her.

"Yeah, so." Ginny said nonchalantly.

"I guess no one has told you, but Draco Malfoy can be dangerous, you don't want to insult him." Blaise warned her.

"I'm not afraid of him." Ginny said confidently. "Besides, you insulted him."

"I was just joking, Draco is my friend, that's how we are. You on the other hand are new and shouldn't take such liberties, besides, I have a feeling you weren't joking." Blaise said looking pointedly at Ginny.

"So what, hex me." Ginny said with a shrug.

"He probably will." Blaise joked. "That was pretty impressive though, I didn't catch the fact that he didn't mince. How did you know? It was just a pile of liquid."

"I really like potions, I can recognize the sign of a poor chopping job and let me tell you, Malfoy did a crappy job." Ginny grinned.

"Draco." Blaise corrected.

"What?"

"Call him Draco, not Malfoy, we are all Slytherins, we address each other by our names, only people that don't like us call us by our last names and vice versus. I suggest you start calling him Draco, you wouldn't want him to get the wrong idea now would you?" Blaise advised.

"No definitely not." Ginny said with slight sarcasm that Blaise didn't catch.

"Don't worry you and Draco will be friends in no time, he's actually a cool guy once you get past the stuck up rich kid demeanor." Blaise revealed.

"Can't wait." Ginny smiled faintly before heading up to her room to get some sleep.

* * *

_The moon hung low in the dark night sky, the howling of the coyotes breaking the eerie silence in the graveyard. Many black hooded figures lined up against the gravestones like shadows of the night, melting in and out of vision as the apparated and disapparated. A tall lanky figure stood in the middle of the circle of cloaked figures, at its side a short round man was huddled looking nervously out of two black beady eyes at the surrounding figures._

_"It is time my loyal servants, the dawn of the age of Lord Voldemort is fast approaching and you all will be awarded beyond your wildest dreams once is has reached us." The figure hissed in a low voice, eliciting low shouts of victory to erupt amongst his followers._

_"There is but one thing left to do, the hunt begins." _

Ginny woke with a gasp and immediately sat up in her bed, the silky green covers sliding off her tiny torso as she placed a hand to her head, pain erupting inside. Ginny squirmed in her seat, trying to prevent herself from calling out in pain as she grabbed fistfuls of her damp and sweaty hair. When the pain subsided, Ginny took a couple ragged breaths and slumped back into her bed staring up at the top of her canopy.

"It is coming back, the pieces are beginning to fit." She whispered before sleep consumed her again and she drifted off.

* * *

"Angelina wake up." 

Ginny heard slight murmuring as she rolled over in her bed and shoved her pillow on the top of her head to block out the noise.

"Come on Angelina, get up." The stern voice continued, now shaking Ginny who moaned in protest. Grumbling the person trying to wake Ginny up grabbed her covers and yanked hard, pulling the blankets off. Ginny curled her legs together as the cold air swept across them, her source of warmth taken away.

"Angelina, we have to go to the memorial service, now get up!" the voice demanded which Ginny recognized to be Blaise.

"Fine, so be it. Aquarium flowinsa!" Blaise said evenly, waving her hand in the air conjuring a shower of water to flow onto Ginny. Ginny yelped as soon as the water rained down upon her and scurried off her bed to get away from it, falling to the floor in a heap of pillows and bed sheets. Blaise burst into immediate laughter at the sight of Ginny, her short brown hair wet and plastered to her face.

"Blaise you jerk, now I'm all wet!" Ginny complained as she tried to untangle herself from the floor. Blaise just continued to laugh as she started taking the bed sheets off of Ginny.

"If you had gotten up when I first asked you, this wouldn't have happened Angelina." Blaise said wagging her finger at the other girl. Ginny grinned and threw her wet pillow at Blaise's head before heading off towards the bathroom. Blaise chucked the pillow at Ginny's retreating back, but hit the bathroom door as Ginny ducked in it and slammed it shut.

Ginny's laughing stopped when she looked into the mirror. She looked like an ugly drowned rat. Her hair was limp and clinging to her face with tiny droplets of water running down her face. Ginny grabbed a towel and quickly tried to dry her hair with it and patted her face dry. Reminding herself that she didn't really look like this, she pulled her damp hair into a half ponytail and left the bathroom, joining Blaise who was waiting impatiently by the portrait, her foot stamping against the ground and then they headed out towards the lawns of Hogwarts.

It was a nice set up really, they were having the memorial service by the lake and chairs were set up in rows all along the grass while white flowers lined the aisle ways. A huge portrait of Ginny was set up in the middle next to a podium in which she was smiling brilliantly and waving, her green eyes twinkling with mischief. Ginny nodded her head in approval of the picture; she actually looked ok in it, happy too. Blaise led her to one of the rows and the silently slipped into the back, the row closest to the lake. They sat there silently just watching all the students file in noticing that all the Gryffandors and Hufflepuffs were present along with the Ravenclaws, but they were the only two Slytherins.

"We sure are a supportive group aren't we." Ginny muttered sarcastically when she noted the absence of the Slytherin house.

"Are you kidding? Why would anyone of us come? The Weaselys and Slytherin don't mix." Blaise said.

"Then why are you here?" Ginny asked.

"I told you, I just understand what it's like alright, just thought I'd pay my respects, doesn't mean I like the girl or anything." Blaise defended herself. Ginny didn't respond, but sat back at her chair, staring as Ron, Harry and Hermoine sat down in the front next to Hagrid and Colin. A hush fell over the group as Dumbledore walked up to the podium and looked out at the students.

"I want to thank you all for taking time out of your day to honor one of our fallen students. It won't be long, just a time to reflect and think on Ginny Weasely. I'm honored to say that she was one of Hogwarts students; Ginny was a bright young girl with her future ahead of her. She was strong in potions and did amazing work in the hospital with Madame Pomphrey. She will be sorely missed." Dumbledore said looking out at the students, when his eyes landed on Ginny, she could have sworn he winked at her.

"I'm going to hand it over to her older brother Ronald Weasely." Dumbledore said before stepping away to let the red head take over.

"My sister was a strong girl, she could keep up with the best of them. I guess that's what happens when you grow up the only girl in a house full of boys, six of them no less. Ginny was right there with us when we ran around doing all sorts of mischief, she even provided many of the brilliant ideas. Even though most don't know it, Ginny was amazing on a broom, that girl had skills. All summer the only thing she talked about was trying out for the Gryffandor team, I swear, the way that girl carried on, you'd think quidditch was the only important thing in her life." Ron said shaking his head, a soft smile on his face. Ginny covered her mouth with her hand to hide the grin that was spreading there.

"I'll never forget her, she will always be in my heart and I hope that you will always remember her as well. Ginny will be sorely missed, I loved her so much, I just wish I could have said that before she left, well, was taken from me." Ron said quickly covering his quirk. Ginny was shocked to see actual tears welling up in his eyes as he stepped down from the podium, trying to wipe them away from his eyes.

'Hermoine must've cast some crying charm on him or something.' Ginny decided as she looked towards Hermoine who also had tears running down her cheeks. 'They all know I'm not really dead.'

'Yeah, but who knows the next time they'll see you.' Her mind reminded her.

'They see me everyday in school.' Ginny scoffed.

'So, they don't know it's you, that's different.' Her mind argued.

'True, well at least I know they miss me.' Ginny said appreciatively.

She sat silently just watching the rest of the service as many of the students went up to speak including Harry and Hermoine. They said a lot of nice things about her; even the kids she didn't really know had something to say. Ginny never knew how many people she had touched when she was "alive." When the service was over, the students lit candles and placed them in a long candleholder that spiral around the ground near the podium. She and Blaise were one of the last ones to place a candle in the holder and Ginny felt really weird doing so. It was all so surreal, attending her own funeral, hearing what people thought about her now that she was "dead." When the service was over the students disembarked and went back to their daily routines. Blaise pulled on Ginny's arm, indicating that she wanted to go back to the dorm.

"You go ahead Blaise, I think I want to sit outside for a little while." Ginny said motioning for Blaise to continue.

"Are you sure, are you okay?" Blaise asked looking at Ginny.

"Yeah, it's just a really nice day out, I just want to enjoy it." Ginny explained.

"Ok, see you later Angelina." Blaise said waving as she walked away. Ginny waved back before turning around and heading towards the lake. She found a shaded spot under a tree and sat back against its sturdy trunk, looking out across the water.

The hoots and hollers of excitement sounded above her causing her to look over towards the quidditch field where Slytherin was busy practicing for their game against Hufflepuff, which meant they were fooling around on the field. Ginny watched as the team laughed and cheered as they dodged buldgers they had let loose. Malfoy had dived out of the way of a double pair that were speeding towards him and grinned haughtily when another player was not as fortunate. Ginny shook her head and looked back towards the lake, sinking into her thoughts and she didn't hear the warning shout directed at her.

"Angelina watch out!" Malfoy yelled as one of the players hit a buldger too hard

away from him and it propelled straight towards Angelina. Ginny didn't notice and continued to sit on the ground.

"Angelina!" Malfoy shouted again this time catching Ginny's attention who noticed the speeding object heading towards her. She immediately got up and began to run away, trying get away from the rocketing blur. However, she had discovered it too late and cried out in pain when the buldger smashed into her back with a force that knocked her flying through the air. Ginny screamed as she gained height and then propelled back towards the ground, now directly over the lake.

Ginny plunged towards the dark water gaining speed as she fell, the buldger already looking for another victim to attack. The iciness of the lake sliced through her as she crashed through the glass like surface, her head slamming against the surface of the water forcefully causing pain to explode in her head. The water surrounded her like a frozen cage and Ginny struggled to swim to the surface, but her head was killing her causing her to feel woozy. Sharp claws digging into her skin brought her back to reality. A Grindylow appeared in front of her, grinning evilly as it plunged its hands towards her, its nails ripping through her robes and clothes to embed itself into her skin. Ginny screamed in pain the only notion of it was a small group of bubbles floating to the surface. She struggled against the Grindylow to no avail as even more plunged their nails into her skin, dragging her down further into the deep unknown. One of the Grindylow, annoyed with Ginny's struggling, hit her hard upside the head. Going unconscious from the impact, Ginny's body went motionless and began to sink further into the depths of the lake, swallowing her into it's icy coffin as the Grindylow held on for a ride, squealing all the way.

"Oh crap." Malfoy muttered as he realized Angelina wouldn't get away from the buldger. He turned his broom and sped towards her trying to draw the attention of the buldger onto him, but to no avail. His eyes widened as he watched Angelina being blast into the air and smash into the lake. When she didn't resurface, he immediately flew to the lake in neck breaking speed skimming the surface, the water kicking up behind the tail of his Firebolt as his eyes grazed the glass like surface looking for a hint of Angelina. A platoon of bubbles broke through the surface alerting his attention to uninvited air in the lake. Squinting, he could barely make out the distorted figure of Angelina being dragged further down the lake.

Knowing that there was no way he could dive down there, grab Angelina and bring them both to the surface before he lost all his air, Malfoy arched, turning his broom towards the sky, gaining altitude until he was sure he had enough freeway. With a deep breath, Malfoy gripped the sleek wooden handle of his broom tightly, the sun glinting of the golden letters reading "Firebolt" and quickly cast a shield spell on himself. Bracing himself, Malfoy zoomed back towards the lake gaining speed as he spiraled downwards. People had gathered on the shore to watch what he was doing in wonder, his teammates who had seen what happened stared in awe as their Captain plummeted to the earth with no hint of feinting.

Malfoy gritted his teeth as he neared the lake preparing for impact. The Firebolt cut through the water like a knife through melted butter, the water parting for Malfoy as it hit his shielding spell and then encased over him when he was through. Malfoy's eyes burned as he forced them to stay open while he bulleted towards Angelina, her form drifting down not far ahead of him. When he reached her, he swiftly wrapped an arm around her chest, locking them under her shoulders as he flew past, knocking the Grindylow loose at his speed when he jerked her away. Malfoy made a sharp turn on the broom and directed it towards the surface, the sun reflecting on the top of the water guiding him to freedom. The Firebolt burst through the waters' surface with grace and ease, the water ricocheting off of them and cascading back to the lake. Malfoy pulled Angelina tighter in right arm as the left one gripped the Firebolt steely and he steered towards dry land, landing softly before jumping off the broom and laying Angelina softly on the green grass.

He quickly pressed two fingers to Angelina's wrist, checking for her pulse, which he felt nothing beating beneath her soft flesh. He watched her chest and noted that it wasn't rising and put his hand over her face, not feeling any air hitting his palm. Unfortunately wizards were not God and could not just bring a person back to life, but most wizards were school in CPR. Malfoy pressed his hands firmly against Ginny's chest after finding her sternum and pressed down hard fifteen times, wincing slightly as he felt the ribs crack beneath his palms. Moving to her face, he pinched shut her nose and breathed two puffs of air into her mouth watching as her lungs filled causing her chest to rise and fall. He checked her pulse but still felt nothing and repeated his actions, this time getting a weak, but sure pulse beating when he touched underneath Angelina's neck.

Encouraged, Malfoy stopped compressing her chest, but continued to give her two breaths every thirty seconds until Angelina began to breath on her own. She coughed and sputtered as the breath of life was given back to her and turned on her side to spit out the lake water that had been in her lungs. Malfoy sat back on his haunches against the grass breathing deeply, relieved that Angelina had not died. Water dripped from his blond hair making his seem darker than normal as it framed his face. His robes and clothes were soaked to the bone, but the sun was beating heatedly upon his back, causing a contrast of temperature and making him shiver.

Ginny gulped in air after she spit out the water, leaning with her head near the ground. She felt weak and her head was still aching from the many hits she had taken. Her back felt immensely sore and when she moved, her ribs hurt. Every breath she took was sweet misery, relieved that she could taste air and fill her lungs again, but the pain from her ribs deterred it. After she was finished sputtering, Ginny tried to stand up, but the blood rushed to her head causing her to feel nauseated and woozy. Stumbling on her feet, she tripped and began to fall when hands caught her. Ginny looked up into long thick lashes dripping with water framing gentle gray eyes before blacking out and collapsing fully into Draco Malfoy's awaiting arms.

* * *

Ginny woke to soft whispers and gently fluttered her eyes open trying to adjust them to the lights. She sat up slowly against the pillows and observed her surroundings. Madame Pomphrey was circling the room checking up on different kids who were unfortunate enough to end up in the hospital wing, unfortunate like Ginny. 

"Hey you're awake." Blaise greeted her warmly as she walked into the hospital wing. She was carrying a small bag and handed it to Ginny who looked inside and discovered a collection of chocolate frogs.

"Thought you might need this to help with the whopping headache you are going to have." Blaise said sympathetically as she sat down in the chair next to her bed.

"Thanks Blaise." Ginny said gratefully as she placed the bag on the bed. "Um, how'd I get in here?" she asked curiously.

"You don't remember?" Blaise asked surprise then shook her head, "I guess you wouldn't, they said you were unconscious."

"I just remember getting hit by a buldger and landing in the lake." Ginny answered.

"Well as you know the buldger came from the Slytherin quidditch practice, one of the players hit it to hard and knocked it out of the playing field where of course, it now had free game of the field and you were the closest person." Blaise started to explain as she grabbed a chocolate frog from Ginny's bag and opened the seal.

"And?" Ginny encouraged Blaise impatiently.

"And Draco saw what happened and tried to get the buldger's attention on himself, but he was too late and it hit you, knocking you in the water where you were attacked by Grindylows." Blaise continued popping the frog into her mouth and pausing to chew the sweet chocolate.

"Then he did this amazing thing, I've never seen if before in my life. He located you in the water and dove in the water while still on his broom and then plucked you out of the lake like one does a feather in the breeze. It was absolutely amazing." Blaise praised him shaking her head at what she had heard.

"He did that?" Ginny said in awe. "For me?"

"Why wouldn't he, you are a Slytherin. Besides, he would have done it for anyone else, he's not a bad guy." Blaise insisted.

"He wouldn't for Ginny Weasely." Ginny muttered under breath causing Blaise to look at her sharply.

"Don't say that Angelina, Draco would have even saved Ginny Weasely." She argued. "Anyways, I wasn't finished my story." Blaise said moving the conversation forward.

"Next you were completely unconscious, actually, you were basically dead. Draco had to give you CPR cause you weren't breathing and your heart wasn't beating. After a few tries, it worked and you woke up and spat out water then fainted again and he brought you here." Blaise finished with a sigh.

"He brought me back to life?" Ginny said in shock.

"More or less, God willing of course." Blaise responded picking up another frog. Ginny promptly swatted her hand away and gathered the bag in her hands, shielding it from Blaise.

"What?" Blaise asked as she opened the frog and ate it.

"Those are mine." Ginny scolded her.

"I bought them for you dunce." Blaise said rolling her pale green eyes.

"And now they're mine hands off." Ginny ordered playfully.

"Touchy touchy, someone likes their chocolate froggies a little too much." Blaise said exaggeratedly arching her eyebrows at Ginny who giggled in response.

"Where is he now?" Ginny asked curiously.

"Who?" Blaise questioned as she tried to sneak a frog but received another glare from Ginny.

"Mal- I mean Draco." Ginny corrected herself.

"He went back to his room to sleep, complained about being cold and worn out. Apparently saving someone's life takes it out of you." Blaise commented.

"Oh." Ginny said staring at her hands.

"Why?"

"Just wanted to thank him I guess." Ginny explained.

"Don't worry, you'll have plenty of time for that later when he prances around like he's god." Blaise said rolling her eyes again.

"You know him pretty well don't you?" Ginny questioned.

"Yeah, I've know Draco forever, since before Hogwarts, our families are old friends." Blaise admitted.

"Well if he's really such a nice guy and all like you say, then why does everyone think he's a jerk? I've only heard stories about how mean he is since I've been here and I haven't seen anything to dispel that." Ginny asked.

"Well he saved your life didn't he?" Blaise retorted.

"Yeah, but, you said he'd do that for anyone." Ginny responded pointedly.

"If you really want to know you are just going to ask him. He wouldn't appreciate me telling you his business, trust me though, he has his reasons." Blaise advised.

"Ok, I was just wondering." Ginny said and began eating a frog. Madame Pomphrey came over then and it took both Ginny and Blaise to convince her that Ginny was feeling much better and could go back to the Slytherin house. Blaise helped Ginny walk back to the dorm, laughing and telling jokes all the way. Ginny could hear the students whispering about her as she walked by but she didn't care.

When they reached the door of the Slytherin house, Ginny made a decision. From now of, since she had a new appearance and twice was given back her life, she would become a new person. No more hatred and malice towards the Slytherins, she would try her hardest to be nice and fit in with them. Maybe, just maybe, she'd even become friends with Malfoy, but that could be asking too much. Smiling softly to herself, Ginny raised her head proudly and strutted into the Slytherin common room behind Blaise determined to make this year the best yet.

* * *

**That would be chapter Four, I hoped you enjoyed it; it had a little bit more action then the last chapter. Please review! **

**.:Angelgrl185:.**


	6. Almost Friends

Friends Close, Enemies Closer

**.:Angelgrl185:.**

_((I do not own the Harry Potter series of any of its components))_

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**twinsrthebest:** Thank you for the review!

**SpunkyVsSpankin':** Don't worry! I'm not abandoning this fic, I just said I wasn't going to update as much as I did Viper. It's been two weeks since my last update and I used to update Viper like once a week or sometimes more often. Not abandoning, never fear! I hate when people abandon their stories or don't update for a ridiculous amount of time. All of my favorites haven't been updated in months and I have like forty. That's pathetic right there! Thank you for the reviews!

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Chapter Five: Almost Friends

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Ginny woke up in the middle of the night after tossing and turning fitfully in her new Slytherin bed. Images and feelings of drowning darkened her dreams that night and she couldn't sleep because of it. Disheveled, Ginny slipped out of her bed and headed downstairs to the common room to sit by the fireplace and think. The stone steps were cold against her bare feet as Ginny walked down them, trailing her hands along the outer walls for balance as she descended. The common room was dark, but glowed with the earthly light of fire as it flickered and danced with the shadows. She quietly entered the common room, thankful for the peace and quiet, not the snoring and wheezing of the girls upstairs. Ginny walked over to the couch in front of the fire when she noticed someone already sitting on it, staring intently into the red and orange flames. Ginny paused as she watched the silvery blond headed boy looking at the fire as it tinted his hair orange, his façade down, his face calm. Intending on not interrupting his contemplation, Ginny turned her stance and began to walk back to the stairs when a smooth voice halted her.

"You don't need to leave Angelina." His silky voice rippled through the air.

"I don't want to intrude, I can just go back upstairs." Ginny replied shaking her head and looking longingly at her bedroom now.

"You won't be, come sit with me." He demanded.

"Ok Draco." Ginny agreed hesitantly. She walked over to the deep green couch and took a seat on the opposite end as far away from Malfoy as possible. The warmth of the fire immediately pranced upon her, soothing her tense muscles and frazzled nerves. They sat in silence for a while, Draco watching the flames, Ginny staring at the wall, her fingers playing with the hem of her green bed robes.

"Draco, I uh wanted to thank you for what you did today." Ginny blurted out as her fists tightened around her hem. Startled at her outburst, Draco snapped his eyes away from the fire and rested his gaze upon Ginny who shifted nervously under his stare.

"It's no big deal Angelina, anyone else would have done the same." Draco commented easily before smirking. "You just happen to be lucky enough to be saved by the best looking man in the school." At his arrogant comment, Ginny snorted with laughter, her brown eyes dancing with amusement.

"Man? Don't give yourself too much credit Draco, I only see little boys here, you don't even sound like you've hit puberty yet." Ginny said brazenly.

"Besides, I've heard Harry Potter is considered to be the most handsome kid at Hogwarts, and I must say, I quite agree." Ginny add sweetly knowing how much that would irk Malfoy as she innocently tucked her messy brown hair behind her ears. To her surprise, instead of enraged protests, Malfoy burst out into laughter, his voice filling the common room. Puzzled, Ginny could only watch as he laughed, his light gray eyes glinting with mirth.

"Obviously you are in denial of your attraction of me and if I didn't know better, I'm guessing you fancy a crush on Scar Face, how traitorous Angelina." Draco said shaking his head, his hair falling across his face. Ginny opened her mouth to respond, but was speechless, was Malfoy, _flirting_ with her?

"I see I've rendered you speechless, I do have a tendency to do that to the ladies so I've heard." He replied winking at her.

Ginny was mortified. Draco Malfoy of the Slytherin house, son of infamous death eater and Voldemort supporter was joking and _flirting_ with her, Ginny Weasely, a Gryffandor. It was unheard of, preposterous.

'Well, he doesn't know you are Gryffandor, nor Ginny Weasely for that matter.' Her mind reasoned.

'Still! This is weird beyond measure!' Ginny argued.

'Stop it; you are a new person now. Remember what you told yourself earlier this evening?' her mind reminded her. Ginny fell silent.

'To change, be a new person.' She finally answered.

'That's right, and this new person is a Slytherin and can be friends with Draco Malfoy.' Her mind declared.

"Angelina?" Draco asked breaking Ginny out of her reverie.

"Sorry I was momentarily stunned by how big your head was, if you ever need any help deflating your ego, I volunteer my services." Ginny grinned biting her lip to keep from giggling at Draco's mock hurt expression.

"You wound me with your words." Draco said dramatically.

"Seriously though Draco, I really do appreciate what you did for me, if it weren't for you I'd be dead right now." Ginny said changing the tone of the conversation.

"You are one of us now Angelina and no matter how weird it feels for me to say this, we're like a family, Slytherins stick together. We watch out for each other. I don't know how it was at your old school, but here we protect one another." Draco informed her seriously.

His remark caused Ginny to think on his words. She felt a little bit humbled by what he said, she always thought the Slytherins to be a calculating horrid group who always tried to out do each other and be on top. She had no idea they were so close and actually, nice. She thought Gryffandor was the closest group, but now as she looked back on it, Gryffandor had its little clicks within the house. Like the Trio and such, there never was unity amongst the whole dorm.

"Thanks Draco, I'm going to go back to bed now, goodnight." Ginny said getting up from the couch.

"Night Angelina." Draco echoed with a nod.

Ginny left the warmth of the common room and headed up the cold stone steps towards her dorm, the scene with Malfoy running through her mind.

'Oh my gosh, I was flirting with Draco Malfoy!' Ginny realized to herself, inwardly wincing.

'Not flirting necessarily.' Her mind mused.

'Fine then what do you call it?' Ginny wondered exasperated.

'Bantering between friends.' Her mind answered.

"Between Friends." Ginny said out loud. "Draco and I friends." She repeated letting the words roll of her tongue as she climbed into her bed.

"I think I can handle that." She whispered to herself before slipping into peaceful slumber.

* * *

"Angelina, what do you think about quidditch?" Blaise asked Ginny as she suddenly appeared by her beside the next morning. Ginny rolled over and squinted at the raven hair girl who was peering down at her.

"What about quidditch?" Ginny asked grumpily, this was the second day in a row Blaise had woken her up before she wanted to be woken.

"Do you like to play quidditch, do you know how to play quidditch, and do you want to play quidditch?" Blaise fired off questions, ticking each one on her finger.

"Why? Ginny mumbled.

"Because, it is time for quidditch try outs for the Slytherin team and there aren't many good prospects that we know of and you are new so I thought you might be a decent player." Blaise answered. At that Ginny bolted upright in her bed.

"You need new players on the team?" she asked excitedly.

"Yeah some of the team members graduated last year. I take it from your reaction that you would love to try out." Blaise replied wryly looking at the excited Ginny.

"Are you kidding? I love quidditch! At home I play all time with my brothers and believe me, they are quite good and hard to play with since there is so many of them." Ginny blurted out in her excitement. Realizing that she was saying too much of her old life, she clamped her mouth shut and dimmed the excitement.

"I would like to try out yeah." She agreed, trying to sound indifferent. Blaise gave her a weird look before replying.

"Try outs are on the quidditch field at three, don't worry about bringing a broom, everyone gets to use the team set so the playing field is equal, that's have Draco likes it to be so that's how it is." Blaise shrugged. "I'll catch you later Angelina, see you at three!" Blaise said over her shoulder as she walked out of the dorm off to her class.

"Draco likes the playing field to be equal?" Ginny repeated as she shook her head. Who knew, Draco Malfoy was full of surprises and maybe not the bad boy everyone thought him to be.

"Draco Malfoy give me back my wand this instant!" Blaise yelled from downstairs. A crash then followed along with Malfoy's booming laughter and a string of curses from Blaise. Then again, maybe he was.

* * *

Ginny breezed through her classes eager for the afternoon to come and quidditch tryouts. Defense Against the Dark Arts has been pretty interesting with Dr. Philips as the Professor, but today was a little bit boring, just the history about premonitions and mind tricks and stuff like that. When three o' clock finally rolled around, Ginny was excitedly waiting on the sideline of the quidditch field with a few other Slytherin prospects. A cheer went up amongst the kids trying out as the current Slytherin team flew on the field at a rapid pace, Malfoy leading the way followed by Blaise, Crabbe and Goyle. Two spaces were available, both of them chasers. Malfoy was the team captain and the seeker while Blaise was the keeper, Crabbe and Goyle were both beaters.

"Alright, everyone huddle up over here, we are going to explain the drills you will be competing in, at the end of the day you will know who the two new Slytherin chasers are." Blaise commanded loudly as the Slytherins gathered around the four Quidditch teammates.

"You will be tested in four categories, racing, dodging, catching and throwing and finally scoring. Crabbe and Goyle will be conducting the dodging competition, Malfoy will be doing the racing, I will be conducting the scoring and we all will judge the catching and throwing." Blaise continued looking at all the competitors.

"If your last name begins with an A through H go with Crabbe and Goyle, if you have a last name that begins with I through Q come with me, R through Z is going with Blaise." Malfoy jumped in as he flew in circles above their heads, his Firebolt glinting in the sunlight.

Ginny followed the other three kids in her group as they flew slowly over to the scoring posts. The three metallic hoops stood stolidly at the end of the quidditch field as Blaise came to rest in front of them, her hand gripping the quaffle.

"Everyone line up thirty feet away. I will throw the quaffle to the first person in line and you will then proceed to use whatever tactic to score on me. Remember, creativity is always a good thing." Blaise added. The four players lined up the distance away. Blaise blew her whistle and chucked the quaffle to the first person in line, a second year named Amy.

Amy nervously grasped the quaffle and then headed towards the goal posts, raising her arm high and when she reached the post, threw the quaffle weakly towards the middle post. Blaise didn't even have to move to block the quaffle as it sailed straight towards her. She caught it easily as Amy headed back towards the end of the line embarrassed. Next was Tristan, a handsome fourth year with spiky blond hair. He caught the quaffle with no resistance and immediately burst towards Blaise and the goal posts. Tristan sped towards the right goal post and aimed at it, causing Blaise to move towards it, but he quickly threw the quaffle towards the left goal post. Tristan had pulled a fade away, tricking Blaise with the direction of his body and eyes. Blaise nodded her head approvingly and went to fetch the quaffle as Tristan headed back towards the end of the line with a grin.

Blaise returned to her post and threw the quaffle to Ginny with a wink who caught it naturally. Ginny took a deep breath before speeding off towards the goals. She kept on a fast steady course straight towards Blaise, staring straight into Blaise's green eyes with her own brown ones. Relying on the laws of Physics, Ginny steadily stood up on her broom as she headed straight and threw the quaffle high in the air. She watched it sail along, Blaise did too in confusion as to why Ginny had just thrown away the ball. Thinking Ginny had fumbled the ball; Blaise began to race towards the ball to get in from Ginny when Ginny suddenly flipped off her broom into the air, kicking the quaffle with her feet as she came out of her summersault. Caught unaware, Blaise didn't have time to react and the quaffle rocketed past her into the middle goal post. Shocked, Blaise whipped her head in Ginny's direction as she landed gracefully back onto her broom and shrugged her shoulders at Blaise with a grin playing on her face.

For the next half an hour they four continued to try and score on Blaise, sometimes succeeding and sometimes nowhere close. Amy managed to score a few points, another boy named Josh scored a couple, but Tristan and Ginny were by far the most successful. At the end of the half an hour, Malfoy blew his whistle, charmed to sound over the whole field, signaling that it was time to rotate. Ginny and her group then went over to Malfoy while the other two groups also switched around. Malfoy waited patiently as the four came over to him and stopped before him.

"As you know, the fastest position in the game of Quidditch belongs to the seeker, but the other positions need to be just as fast. The keepers in order to block the quaffle from the goal posts and the chasers in order to out fly the other team who is trying to steal the quaffle from you. Beaters, not so much. I am going to have you all race each other a couple of times, then you will all race me to get a comparison of how fast you are. You will race individually with me." Malfoy explained.

"Now line up on that side of the field, I just want you guys to warm up a little bit, get a feel for your brooms. Go at a three quarters speed from this end to the other then back on your brooms. Go on my whistle." Malfoy put the silver whistle to his lips as the four lined up and blew it hard. The four immediately took off, Tristan a little bit slower of a reaction then the others but he easily caught up with them as they maintained a steady speed, each reaching the other side of the field together. They all turned around and flew back the other way, the wind flipping their hair around as they flew.

"Alright, that should be enough, you already flew a little bit with Blaise. I'm just going to go straight to the racing with me. Tristan, line up with me, we are going to race to the other side and back. This is going to judge your speed and how you can handle it while also how smoothly you can turn at high speeds. Amy, there is a timer on the grass over to your right, if you would please record the times in which Tristan and myself finish on the clipboard next to it." Malfoy asked pointing to the two items. Amy blushed and nodded before picking them both up.

"You can say go Amy." Malfoy said nodding to her.

"Alright, ready, get set, GO!" she shouted, pressing her thumb against the timer, starting the count. Tristan and Malfoy sped towards the other side of the field, Tristan in the front for a while, but it was apparent to Ginny that Malfoy was letting him drift ahead of him to give him some confidence. As they neared the edge, both boys smoothly flipped over and headed back, this time Malfoy edging away from Tristan and crossing the finish line at least ten feet ahead.

"Draco, you finished in 10.03 seconds, Tristan in 13 flat." Amy informed them as they sat aloft on their brooms.

"Good job Tristan, that's the fastest time anyone has gotten against me so far today." Draco complimented him.

Josh raced him next, but unfortunately was not very good at turning around at high speeds and crashed into the stands instead of successfully turning. Draco halted the practice for a few minutes to take Josh to the Infirmary. Amy went after Draco returned, coming surprisingly in first, beating Tristan by thirty-four milliseconds. Finally it was Ginny's turn and she confidently lined up with Malfoy who shot her a sly look before focusing his attention at the other side of the field. Ginny chuckled to herself, Malfoy looked so sure of himself, but he's never raced a female Weasely before. Amy yelled for them to go and Ginny rocketed away from the starting point, Malfoy with her, doing his hanging back ploy in the beginning until he realized that Ginny was actually good. He quit hanging back and caught up with her as they neared the other side. They both turned, the material covering the stands whipping in the wind they created as they flipped over and headed back. Ginny looked over at Malfoy and saw that his silvery hair was plastered against his forehead, the longest locks tailing out from behind him slightly.

They continued to speed back towards the finish line, the time seeming to have slowed although Ginny knew it was only a matter of seconds. They weaved in and out trying to get the best of each other. Finally Malfoy pulled ahead as they crossed the finish line with a satisfied grin.

"Draco you got 9.45 seconds and Angelina had 10.10 seconds." Amy revealed as she jotted down the times.

"Nice run Angelina, didn't know you were so fast. Too bad you weren't fast enough." Draco taunted her.

"Shove off Malfoy, you have a Firebolt and I have a Nimbus 2000. If my broom was nearly as good as yours I would have knocked your pants off." Ginny threw back haughtily.

"You would like that wouldn't you." Malfoy commented slyly.

"Don't make me sick Malfoy, I have a Chaser position to obtain." Ginny rolled her eyes and walked away. Malfoy chuckled and blew his whistle loudly, signally once again a station change.

Crabbe and Goyle were waiting impatiently at their area, hovering in the air like great big blimps. Ginny couldn't help but snicker as she neared them and took in their appearance. Crabbe sent her a suspicious look when he caught the end of her laughter, but Ginny flashed him an innocent smile.

"Alright then, you have to stay in the parameter of our side. Goyle and I are going to be hitting the bludgers towards you and you all will be trying to dodge them at once. This is going to test your agility and keenness." Crabbe explained in a gruff voice.

Crabbe and Goyle backed away from the three remaining Slytherins in their group, each holding a struggling bludger in a firm grip while grasping a bat in the other. Tristan pulled up to Ginny's right, Amy on the left as all three of them stared at Crabbe and Goyle, waiting anxiously for them to release the flying demons. A smirk spread across Goyle's face as he nodded at Crabbe then threw his bludger in the air, smacking it hard with his bat, sending it towards the three competitors. Amy and Tristan both spiraled out of the way of the racing bludger, but Ginny froze on her broom in the middle of the air. Memories of another bludger flying towards her, slamming into her back and knocking her out filled her mind.

"Angelina move out of the way! Stop trying to be brave!" Amy shouted to Ginny. Tristan watched and noted the frozen look of fear on Ginny's face. He quickly shot back towards Ginny, spinning his broom, connecting it with the bludger, stopping it right before Ginny's face and sending it back towards Goyle.

"Angelina, you need to snap out of it. I know you had a bad occurrence with these before, but you can do this." Tristan said encouragingly, forcing Ginny to look up into his bright blue eyes.

"Thank you Tristan." Ginny said gratefully to her fellow Slytherin. "Look out!" she yelled shoving off against Tristan as another bludger came towards them, propelling them both away from the maniac ball. The final half an hour passed by quickly, all three of them efficiently dodging the bludgers, Ginny having snapped out of her memory and her confidence returning. Malfoy blew the final whistle and all the competitors from the three groups huddled together.

"Now we are going to place you in triplets. You are going to do a weave down the field, throwing the quaffle to each other in a weave pattern. When you throw the quaffle to a teammate, you then trade places with the person you threw the quaffle too. This will give us an idea of how you handle throwing the quaffle and catching it during game like circumstances." Malfoy explained.

"Group number three, the group that started with me, since there are only three of you left, you can be a weave together." Blaise started nodding towards Ginny, Tristan and Amy. "The rest of you divide yourselves."

Ginny, Tristan and Amy did pretty well. Amy dropped the quaffle a few times; Tristan misjudged his strength and over threw it to Ginny who couldn't catch his wild throws. Other than that, Ginny felt they were pretty strong compared to the other groups as she watched them flying their weaves. At the end, they were all dismissed to the locker rooms and told that a letter would be sent to those who made the team by post during the evening meal. Exhausted, but happy, Ginny headed off towards the locker room and took a quick shower, washing off all the sweat and grim that coated her body from the nice work out. A couple hours later she joined the rest of her house in the Grand Hall as they awaited their meal. Ginny fiddled nervously with her napkin and picked at her food when it appeared on the table. Blaise and Malfoy refused to look at her or any of the competitors for that matter and it made Ginny all the more anxious.

The thunderous sound of hooting filled the Grand Hall as a storm of owls flittered into the dining room carrying various packages and letters. Ginny watched impatiently as a couple owls swooped around her table but none of them dropped anything on her plate. She heard a roar of triumph to her right and quickly turned her head to see Tristan pumping his fist in the air, his blue eyes shining brightly as he waved around a letter in the other hand. Ginny slumped in her seat, but grew a little hopeful when she noticed that only one letter had been delivered so far. A soft hoot sounded above her head. Ginny looked up and noticed a soft gray owl hovering above her head, its giant wing span flapping gracefully as its large talons release a cream colored envelope and it fluttered down slowly towards Ginny. She watched in amazement as the cream paper floated into her outstretched hands. Fingers fumbling, Ginny broke the wax Slytherin seal and pulled out a cream letter.

_Congratulations Angelina Gracin,_

_It is the honor of the Slytherin Quidditch team to invite you to join their ranks. You have proved your skill and ambition towards the sport and will be a huge asset to the team. Report to the locker room after dinner to receive your robes and new broom. You will be instructed on practice times there. Congratulations once again._

_Draco Malfoy_

Squealing Ginny grinned widely looking up at Blaise who finally acknowledged her. Blaise smiled back happy for her friend and gave Ginny a high five. Satisfied, Ginny proceeded to scarf down her uneaten meal impatient to receive her quidditch robes and new broom. After dinner, Tristan and Ginny met the rest of the Slytherin Quidditch team in the Slytherin locker rooms. Blaise smiled warmly at them both, Crabbe and Goyle both looked rather bored and Malfoy stood leaning against one of the lockers with an unreadable look on his face.

"Here are our practice schedules and our game schedules." Blaise said handing them both two slips of parchment paper. "Our first game is next week against Hufflepuff, should be easy enough. A nice game to get you two started on." She looked over at Malfoy who pushed off the locker and opened it, pulling out two Quidditch uniforms. He handed one to Ginny and one to Tristan who accepted them eagerly.

"Obviously these are your robes, you are required to wear these to every game. If you don't have them, you don't play and then we have to forfeit. To practice however, I don't care if you come in your Grandma's underwear, just be serious and ready to practice." Malfoy said seriously, his gray eyes betraying his mirth. "One more thing, the uniforms are charmed so you don't have to wash them. They just wash themselves so you don't have to worry about it." He added.

Moving over to another locker, he pulled out two broomsticks, the word golden word Firebolt etched into each one's wooden hide. Ginny gasped at the beauty of the broom and Tristan too stood in awe of it. Malfoy grinned knowingly as he handed the brooms to his newest players. Ginny ran her fingers along the smoothing wooden skin of the broom, noticing the way it glinted in the light of the locker room.

"Our first practice is tomorrow after classes, you both will be expected to be there." Malfoy said firmly looking them both in the eye. "I don't tolerate flightiness. This is a serious game and I'm a serious person. Make sure you come prepared tomorrow. Dismissed." He finished before turning and walking out of the locker room followed by Crabbe and Goyle. Tristan left as well leaving Blaise and Ginny alone.

"He seems a little intense." Ginny observed.

"Yeah he gets that way when it comes to Quidditch. Even though he doesn't really show it, Quidditch is one of his favorite things in the world. With you on the team though, you are definitely going to give him a challenge. It's going to be mighty interesting to see how you two get along." Blaise said with a laugh.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ginny asked defensively.

"Whatever you want it to mean." Blaise said with a wink before flouncing out of the locker room, her ebony hair flipped over her shoulder as she exited. Puzzled Ginny stared after her for a few minutes before shrugging and turning her attention back to her Firebolt admiringly. It was defiantly going to be an interesting year.

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**That would be the end of chapter five, I hope you enjoyed it! Please review, I don't have very many!**

**.:Angelgrl185:.**


	7. Confrontations

Friends Close, Enemies Closer

**.:Angelgrl185:.**

_((I do not own the Harry Potter Series or any of its components))_

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**llCrayolall: **Thanks for the review! This is strictly a Ginny/Malfoy pairing, I don't know yet whether there will be complications with Harry, but right now it doesn't seem likely. I'm focusing more on a new take on the Ginny/Malfoy relationship that is usually portrayed.

**SpunkyVsSpankin': **Thanks! Sorry it took so long to review, you probably thought I did quit!

**Macs:** "_i havent read a first chapter this good in ages"_ Wow, thanks! I'm glad you are hooked and I hope I never disappoint you. This chapter all your questions and suggestions will be revealed, we must think alike because I was already planning on these things happening.

**Darkangel1:** Thanks for the review; don't worry about being busy and not being able to read. I've been bad with updating it recently and I'm hoping to change that.

**TrippyGirl20051:** Thanks for the review; I'm hoping to be original so I'm glad you think so!

**TarynMalfoy88:** I'm glad you can see how I'm trying to portray Draco. I feel a lot of people rush too much into changing his character and he goes from hard to soft immediately, it's unnatural and doesn't flow right. I'm trying to make it a better more believable transition. It helps that he doesn't know its Ginny Weasely!

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Chapter Six: Confrontations

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A couple weeks later found Ginny stepping quietly into the Defense Against the Dark Arts room where Dr. Philips was flipping through parchment papers they had turned in earlier this week. It had been about two months since Ginny's reentrance into the world of Hogwarts and she was doing quite well despite the fact she was now in Slytherin. Quidditch was going great, they won their first game against Hufflepuff a week ago, Ginny score a fair amount of points in her first game. Actually, they had a game against Gryffandor tomorrow afternoon and every time she thought about it, her stomach got queasy. Dr. Philips looked up as Ginny entered his room, putting aside his work so he could speak with her.

"Good afternoon Angelina." He greeted her warmly.

"Hello Professor." Ginny replied.

"I'm guessing you are here for your potion?" Dr. Philips asked lowering his voice.

"Yeah, it is the end of the week." Ginny reminded him.

"So it is, just wait one moment, I'll go get it for you." He said pushing back his chair and standing up before moving towards a large black chest he kept in the back of the room. With a wave of his want and the muttering of a few words Ginny couldn't hear, the case opened to reveal many glass bottles of different potions. Dr. Philips selected the familiar bright green one and closed the case before handing the potion to Ginny who accepted it gratefully. Plugging her nose, Ginny quickly downed the potion, a disgusted look appearing on her face after she finished swallowing.

"I don't think I will ever get over how horrible that stuff tastes." Ginny exclaimed handing the empty glass container back to Dr. Philips.

"I think soon you will develop an immunity to the taste, you do drink it once a week." Dr. Philips reminded her.

"I hope so." Ginny said glaring at the empty potion bottle the doctor was holding in his hands. She thanked him again and turned to leave, heading towards the doorway when his voice stopped her.

"Ginny." He started softly using her real name. Ginny froze when her name left his lips, hearing the sound flowing off his tongue seemed foreign to her now.

"Ginny, are you alright now? Have you been having anymore problems or anything that you need help with?" he asked looking intently at her.

"Nothing that is of importance Professor." She answered slowly, swallowing hard. She refused to tell him about the new snatch of the memory she had obtained; it would only cause more worry and complications.

"Ok, but if you ever need anything, Professor Dumbledore and I are here for you, just remember that." Dr. Philips said.

"Thank you sir." Ginny replied before quickly exiting the room, letting out her breath and slowing her pace once she was in the hallway. Fellow students joined her in the hallway, pushing their way to their classes, chattering to the friend next to them. Up ahead, Ginny spotted Harry, Ron and Hermoine making their way towards her and her face immediately lit up into a smile. They were heavy in conversation, their heads bent towards each other, each one talking as fast as they walked.

"Hello Harry, Ron, Hermoine!" Ginny said brightly, beaming at the trio. Confused, the three looked up from their discussion and looked around for who had spoken to them, looking for someone familiar. Their gaze finally landed on Ginny, their faces immediately becoming cold and unfriendly when they recognized her as Angelina, the new Slytherin. Hermoine stuck her nose in the air and grabbed on to the two boys tightly, pulling them away from Ginny, but the three were stopped when they came face to face with Draco Malfoy.

"Well, what do we have here?" Draco said with a sneer. "If it isn't scar face, weasel and mud blood."

"Sod off Malfoy." Harry said impatiently as he pressed a hand against Ron's arm, silently warning him to leave Malfoy alone.

"I do believe Potter just tried to tell me off." Draco said with a laugh as he glanced at Angelina and gave her a quick wink. Ginny just shuffled her feet and looked away, feeling very awkward in the situation.

""Malfoy you are such a, a prick!" Hermoine shouted suddenly. All heads whipped toward her as she glared angrily at Draco.

"What was that Granger? I don't think I did anything, your lover boy here told me to sod off and I don't think that was very nice, now do you?" Draco asked her innocently.

"You started this Malfoy, you called us names." She argued.

"I was just pleasantly greeting you." He protested.

"It wasn't pleasant." Ron answered through gritted teeth.

"Yeah well sometimes the truth hurts now doesn't it weasel?" Draco responded with a smirk.

"Yeah I guess it does Malfoy. I guess it hurts to know that you are so desperate for girls that you have to lower your standards." Harry said shrugging his shoulders.

"What's that supposed to mean Potter?" Draco said narrowing his silvery gray eyes.

"I'm just referring to the fact that you can't get any from any of the girls here because you are such a snake that you have to resort to ugly exchange students from god knows where." Harry said with a sneer looking pointedly at Angelina. "Really Draco, that's even a little low for you, she doesn't even got a decent body that could possibly out weigh her ugliness."

Ginny gasped in shock at the words that had just come out of Harry's mouth. He had just called her ugly! Tears began to brim in the corner of her eyes, his words slicing her to the core. With a gasp, Ginny turned around and ran down the hallway heading towards the Slytherin common room, sobbing the whole way.

"You jerk, making an innocent girl cry like that." Malfoy said in disgust. Anger was apparent in his eyes, darkening them, giving him a menacing appearance. Raising his fist, he drove it into Harry's facing, smashing the black wire framed glasses, crunching the glass and sending the whole thing to the floor. Harry, objecting to being hit by Malfoy, slammed his own fist towards Draco, catching him in the stomach. Draco caught the arm that punched him and twisted it hard with his own hands as he gasped for air, causing Harry to wince in pain. Releasing one hand, Draco slammed his fist into Harry's face again, cutting his lip.

"Stop it you too!" they both heard Hermoine scream in the background before she buried her eyes into Ron's shoulder as he put his arm around her shoulder all the while cheering for Harry.

Harry tackled Malfoy then, knocking them both to the ground, landing on top of Draco. Grunting, Draco pushed Harry off of him and lunged at him, grabbing the neck of Harry's robe with one hand and raising his other fist to pummel into Harry's face again when a shrill whistle immediately stopped both of the fighting boys.

"Mr. Potter and Mr. Malfoy, I am ashamed to see Hogwarts students acting in this manner!" Professor McGonagall's voice rang out sharply in the hallway as she reached the scuffle.

"Twenty-five points will be deducted from both the Gryffandor house and the Slytherin house for such behavior and each of you will receive detention with me for a week." She added looking down on both of them with a disgusted look.

"But Professor, Malfoy, he-" Hermoine protested before she was silenced by a look from McGonagall.

"Save it Miss. Granger, I know what I saw and I saw two students duking it out in the hallway. Mr. Potter, Mr. Malfoy, I expect to see both of you in my classroom immediately after classes are done for the day next week." She said looking at them both as they let go of each other and stood up, still glaring defiantly at the other. With that she stalked off in the other direction, the sharp clicking of her heels echoing down the hall. Malfoy threw the three one more disgusted look before continuing on his original course.

* * *

Ginny stood in front of the portrait trying to remember the password as she sobbed.

"Grindylow." She finally spat out almost incoherently. The portrait swung open and Ginny immediately rushed into the Slytherin house, running up the stairs to the girl's quarters, which were thankfully empty at the moment. Throwing herself onto her bed, Ginny circled her arms around her silky green pillow and buried her head into its soft depths, her tears beginning to stain the fabric.

"I can't believe Harry said that! Why would he say that to me?" Ginny cried hysterically, still hurting from the sting of Harry's words. The cold looks the trio gave her and the leer in Harry's voice when he insulted her kept playing over and over in her head causing Ginny to break out into fresh sobs.

"How can he be so cruel towards me? I've only ever been nice to him!" Ginny screeched.

'He doesn't know who you are Ginny.' Her conscious cut into her hysterical ravings. Ginny picked her head slowly up off the pillow and quieted her crying as she pondered the words floating around in her head.

"I can't believe I forgot, he thinks I'm Angelina." Ginny whispered a little relieved that Harry doesn't really think she is ugly, but her breaths still came in small shudders.

"That was still a really cruel thing to say." Ginny told herself with a frown. "I didn't know Harry could be so mean."

'He was provoked by Draco.' Her mind reminded her.

"That's true, but still, he didn't have to bring me into it. He should have insulted Draco instead; I was just standing there. I was even nice and said hello." Ginny remembered bitterly.

"Ginny?" Blaise voice broke through Ginny's thoughts as her raven-haired head appeared through the doorway of the girl's dormitory.

"Yeah?" Ginny answered, her voice still a little shaky although she was calming down some.

"I heard what happened." Blaise said softly coming to sit next to Ginny on her bed.

"Word travels fast around here apparently." Ginny said sarcastically as she wiped her eyes.

"I don't think you are ugly." Blaise said honestly giving Ginny a smile. "You are such an awesome person Angelina, don't listen to what Harry or anyone else says, they don't know you like I do."

'The funny thing is, they know me better then you.' Ginny said to herself, 'You don't know who I really am Blaise, and if you did, you wouldn't be speaking to me.' Ginny thought to herself sadly. Blaise noticed Ginny's face fall and thought it to be because of what Harry had done and she put her arms around Ginny and gave her a long hug.

"Be strong, the Angelina I know doesn't show weakness. She's fearless, even standing up and making fun of Draco Malfoy himself." Blaise said soothingly with a teasing lint in her voice. Ginny grinned through choked sobs as she buried her face in Blaise's shoulder.

"Did you hear what happened after you left?" Blaise asked softly. Ginny shook her head in Blaise's shoulder.

"Well, Draco apparently was very upset at what Harry said and went off on him, not in the speaking sense mind you, Draco socked him in the face." Blaise said proudly.

"What?" Ginny gasped lifting her head off of Blaise's shoulder and staring at her.

"Yup, knocked Mr. Potter's glasses right off of that smug face of his, shattered them too." Blaise added.

"Then what happened?" Ginny asked her interest peaked.

"Then Harry swung back at him, hit Draco in the stomach and then they got in a little scuffle, ended up sprawled on the floor before Professor McGonagall stopped them both and deducted twenty five house points and gave them both a weeks detention."

"No way! What on earth did he do that for?" Ginny wondered.

"Come on Angelina, Harry insulted you! Do you think Draco was going to let him get away with it? Draco has been looking for a chance to pound Harry for months and this was it. There was no he was going to let it pass him by." Blaise explained.

"Oh, I guess you are right." Ginny agreed.

"Ok, well I got to get some work done, I just wanted to see if you were alright." Blaise said as she stood up.

"Thanks Blaise." Ginny said warmly.

"Anytime." She answered before slipping out the door.

* * *

Ginny snuck out of the dormitory for the first time using Harry's invisibility cloak and made her way to the kitchen. After tickling the pear in the portrait hung on the wall, it swung away revealing house elves milling around the kitchen of Hogwarts. Delighted at the trick George and Fred had told her about that summer, Ginny entered the kitchen and requested two steaming mugs of hot chocolate and was served accordingly. Now accompanied with two hot mugs, Ginny slowly made her way back to the dorm and to the person she knew would be sitting in the common room. As she entered Slytherin chambers again, Ginny tucked away the invisibility cloak in her own robe before taking the hot chocolate into the Slytherin common room. Just as she predicted, a silvery blond head was once again sticking out over top of the green couch. Ginny walked over to the couch and sat down on it next to Draco who didn't even flinch when she did nor did he remove is gaze from the burning embers.

"I brought you some hot chocolate." Ginny said finally after a few minutes of silence, her fingers nervously clicking against the hard exterior of a mug.

"Why?" Draco said without turning in her direction.

"As a thank you for what you did today. It seems you are always saving me and I felt that I should do something for you, even if it is only bringing you some hot chocolate." Ginny admitted. At this, Draco turned his gaze away from the fire and looked at Ginny, the red and orange flames reflecting eerily in the depths of his silver orbs.

"Thanks." He said accepting the steaming mug that Ginny handed him. He blew on it softly before taking a large gulp while Ginny sipped hers instead.

"I appreciate what you did, sticking up for me and all." Ginny said again.

"I told you before Angelina, Slytherins stick together. I'm not going to let pretty Potter pick on one of us." Draco drawled as he held his mug, staring at the chocolate liquid. Ginny nodded her head at his response, but felt a little let down at his reply.

'He didn't counter what Harry said.' Ginny thought to herself. 'Draco thinks I'm ugly too.'

For some reason, Ginny felt disappointed that Draco held the same opinion, and to her surprise, a little hurt as well.

'Why should I care what stupid Malfoy thinks anyways?' Ginny angrily questioned herself. Before her mind could supply her with an answer, Ginny turned to Draco and blurted out a question.

"Why do you always sit down here at night while everyone else is sleeping?" Ginny said suddenly, her question rewarded with a sharp look from Draco.

"Why are you always bugging me while I am sitting here?" Draco shot back once he recovered from his surprise at her question.

"I was just wondering, no need to get all defensive." Ginny retorted becoming defensive herself. Draco settled back into the couch and turned his attention back towards the fire, waiting a few moments before answering.

"I like it down here. I can sit and think. It's quiet because everyone is asleep. No one is bugging me with questions or trying to impress me or anything else." He finally replied.

Ginny's mind momentarily wandered back to a conversation she had with Blaise a few weeks back.

_"You know him pretty well don't you?" Ginny questioned._

_"Yeah, I've known Draco forever, since before Hogwarts, our families are old friends." Blaise admitted._

"Well if he's really such a nice guy and all like you say, then why does everyone think he's a jerk? I've only heard stories about how mean he is since I've been here and I haven't seen anything to dispel that." Ginny asked.

"Well he saved your life didn't he?" Blaise retorted.

"Yeah, but, you said he'd do that for anyone." Ginny responded pointedly.

"If you really want to know you are just going to ask him. He wouldn't appreciate me telling you his business, trust me though, he has his reasons." Blaise advised.

"Draco," Ginny began hesitantly, unsure why she was about to ask him such private things, but something inside her pushed her towards it. Draco turned back towards her and looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to finish.

"I, uh, was wondering why you put on such a front." Ginny finished quickly. Draco raised an eyebrow at her as he considered her question.

"And what makes you think I put up a front?" he asked evenly. Ginny swallowed hard before answering nervously.

"You run around school acting like this tough kid who doesn't like anyone, but that isn't how you really are. Draco, you respect the Slytherins, you take care of us. People outside our house don't see how you really are because you act like this cold hearted jerk, they think you don't care about anything." Ginny explained hastily.

"Maybe I really don't care about anything. Maybe I just act nice around the Slytherins so you will all get off my case and stop asking me ridiculous questions about my personal life." Draco said gruffly.

"I don't think so." Ginny disagreed.

"You don't think so? Oh really? And what would you know huh? What in the world could Angelina Gracin possibly know about the inter workings of Draco Malfoy?" Draco asked bitterly, venom lacing his words.

"I don't know, I, I just have this feeling, that…" Ginny stuttered beginning to be intimidated by this older boy. She didn't know how to describe the fact that when she looked into his eyes she could just read him.

"A feeling? Really? Well guess what, you are right, you don't know and I would appreciate if you would stay out of my personal life, got it?" Draco said threateningly. Ginny only nodded her response, not trusting her voice to speak before she set her mug on the table beside the couch and quickly walked off to her dormitory and buried herself into her bed trying to forget anything that had to do with Draco Malfoy.

* * *

_"What are we hunting for milord?" a ragged voice cut through the cheers of the black robed figures gathered around the presence of Lord Voldemort._

_"The weapon that will bring about my return." Lord Voldemort replied, an evil glinting shining in his blackened eyes._

_"Where shall we find this weapon?" the voice asked again._

_"I will show you." Voldemort's silky voice spoke softly before he waved his hand and the dull colors of the world around them swirled and mixed together before going dark._

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The next day Ginny once again found herself in the Defense Against the Dark Arts room as she pondered the memory she received last night in a dream. This time, however, she was in the room for class. Professor Philips, or Dr. Philips as Ginny knows him, entered the room airily causing the chattering of his students to hush. Although Professor Philips wasn't as fun loving as Professor Lupin or as cool as Professor Moody, he still taught really interesting things. Today for example, Professor Philips was going to teach about Dark Magic usage on the mind.

"Good morning class." Dr. Philips greeted them warmly as he placed his briefcase on top of his desk.

"As I said last week, today we are going to be learning about the Dark Arts influence on the mind. This is imperative to learn because we have learned in past years that "he who must not be named" is strong in mind control and you as young wizards need to be able to counter his attacks on you." Dr. Philips said all attention in the room shooting immediately to him when he mentioned "he who must not be named."

"Now I want you to open your textbooks to where it begins to talk about Legilimency in chapter nineteen. Now, "he who must not be named" is skilled in Legilimency, in fact, it has been said that he can always tell when someone is lying to them. One who practices Legilimency is referred to as a Legilimens. Legilimency comes from the Latin words legens which means "reading" and mens which means "mind." Therefore, Legilimency can be directly translated as "mind reader." Legilimens can peer into the mind of a person they wish and discover their feelings, thoughts and even past memories. One who is particularly skilled in Legilimency, such as "he who must not be named" can even manipulate the person into doing things for them." Professor Philips explained to a now very silent class.

Every Slytherin and Gryffandor in the room was silently staring at the Professor with interested looks, some with their mouths open slightly. Ginny on the other hand was sitting back nervously in chair, her fingers gripping tightly to the edge of the chair making her knuckles go white. Every word that Dr. Philips was saying, each time he explained what Legilimency was, it cut into Ginny's mind. It was so familiar, something she felt that she knew.

"Now, the only way a Legilimens can use its power against someone is if they are directly looking into that person's eyes. So the first key of defense against someone who practices Legilimency is to not obtain eye contact. It is easiest for the Legilimens when the target is weak and vulnerable, or just off-guard and relaxed. More skilled Legilimens, like "he who must not be named" does not need to be in direct contact with the person and can exert his power across the world with just using his mind. Legilimency is something that can be learned, but to those like "you know who" is it a rare gift causing him to wield this power with ease." Dr. Philips continued.

'Oh my gosh.' Ginny's mind screamed as Dr. Philip's words echoed and swirled around in her head. Memories of the Chamber of Secrets came flooding back to her and that's when she realized it.

"I used Legilimency." Ginny gasped softly to herself. It was all there; she used her mind to project herself into Tom Riddle's mind. Granted she couldn't really remember what memories she obtained from his mind, but she still did it, and with such ease. It was natural.

"Concentrate hard, this should come naturally to you Ginny." Her mind suggested.

'That was it, that's what my mind said to me back in the Chamber of Secrets, it would come naturally to me. What does that mean?' Ginny wondered to herself.

'It means you have a gift Ginny, you have a gift for Legilimency and it has been waiting for a long time to be recognized by you.' Her mind suddenly spoke up.

'I have a gift for Legilimency? I have a gift for a Dark Art?' Ginny screeched at mind.

'Don't think of it that way, Legilimency can be used for good as well. Look how you used it in the Chamber of Secrets? You did it to save not only your life, but Harry's as well." Her mind reasoned with her.

'That's true, but still. What do I do now? Tell Dumbledore?' she asked herself, debating what to do.

'I think that would be the best idea, but he might have some kind of idea already since you told him what happened in the Chamber earlier.' Her mind agreed.

'Fine, after the quidditch game today I will tell Professor Dumbledore that I am a Legilimens.' Ginny decided. She brought her attention back to the lessen and realized that a good amount of time had passed and that Professor Philips was finished with the Legilimency lessen for the day and was dismissing the class. Ginny gathered up her things and left the room, her mind still boggling from what she had realized.

* * *

Later the afternoon the sun was shining brightly in the sky as the Slytherin team waited in the locker room before their game against Gryffandor. The sun was glinting through the windows, casting rainbows across the room, one landing on Draco's face as he explained that tactics they were going to use in the game today. Ginny had to muffle her giggle at the sight of the bright colors dancing across Draco's skin. She immediately quieted though when Draco sent her a sharp look and went back to listening to his strategy. A loud whistle sounded in the distance, signaling to the two teams to come out on the field. The curtains were drawn away from the entrance to the field and the Slytherin team stepped up to the edge, staring out at the hundreds of students lining the walls of the field, all screaming and waving some oddity. Ginny felt the familiar rush filter through her body and she was anxious to begin the game.

Draco led the way, hopping onto his Firebolt, a signal for the others to do so as well. He sped out of the locker room, the rest of the Slytherin team trailing directly behind them. They moved across the field in a sleek flash of silver and green to the cheers of the Slytherins and the boos of the other three houses. Ginny looked to her right and noticed the gold and maroon colors flashing out of the Gryffandor locker room. She caught sight of Harry speeding out in the lead, a smug and confident look plastered on his face. At the sight of him, the memories of what he had said about her, the tone of his harsh voice grated into her mind and she felt herself becoming angry at the opposite teams seeker. Pushing her personal feelings out of the way, Ginny forced herself to focus on the task at hand, to focus on winning the game.

Madame Hooch raised her hands high in the air as the two teams came together to face off the beginning of the game. Blowing her silver whistle hard, she kicked open the container releasing all four balls, the snitch immediately disappearing, the two bludgers springing free and hunting down the nearest person and the quaffle she threw high in the air for the chasers to catch. Ginny and Tristan immediately sped towards the quaffle, the two Gryffandor chasers also heading for it, the two teams racing for it heads on. Ginny reached it first, but instead of reaching out to grab it, she quickly spun her broom and hit it towards Tristan who caught it easily and swiftly headed towards the Gryffandor end and scored. Ginny pumped her fist in the air; she loved it when her team scored first. It just said something. Scoring the first goal let the whole school know who was in charge.

The quaffle was thrown back and forth between the two teams, the score neck and neck the whole time. Slytherin would score, but Gryffandor would immediately retaliate with ten points of their own. It seemed as if the game would never end, the snitch had not yet appeared and the score was certainly being racked up, now tied at ninety. Draco and Harry circled lazily far above the field taking the time to momentarily glare at one another as their eyes searched for any glimpse of the golden snitch. Ginny grimaced as she took a blow from a bludger, the Gryffandor beater who sent it her way grinning in a satisfied manner. She looked over at Tristan who had a cut on his lip from being smack purposely by the end of a chaser's broom. Ginny felt her anger rising, she never knew that Gryffandor played so dirty.

The sound of the crowd reacting to something startled Ginny and she spun around on her broom looking to see what had cause the disturbance. Harry and Draco had spotted the snitch and were now racing neck to neck in a death-defying dive. Draco, she knew, wanted to catch the snitch really bad, he had never beaten Harry before and Ginny knew that he probably never will. Harry just had that naturally ability to fly and while Draco himself was an amazing flyer; Harry would always be one step above him. Ginny noticed Harry shove Draco with his broom, something that Draco immediately responded too, shoving Harry back hard. That was it for Ginny though, she couldn't take it anymore, couldn't take anymore of Harry's dirty tricks that no one seemed to notice. Sure the Slytherin were known for being not so nice on the quidditch field themselves, Ginny's anger towards Harry had been building ever since his words began echoing in her mind. Ginny flew over towards Goyle and snatched the beater stick out of his hands much to his surprised protest and sped towards the bludger that was speeding directly towards her. She watched out of the corner of her eye as Draco and Harry flew downwards, coming closer to her level, Harry on the side closest to her. It was perfect timing, George or Fred couldn't have done it better. Ginny swung the bat with all her strength towards the bludger connecting with it head on sending it flying in the opposite direction.

Harry was too focused on his goal that he didn't even notice the bludger that was careening gleefully towards him. Ginny watched, poised in the air on her broom, the bat resting on the top of her broom. The bludger rammed forcefully into the back of Harry's broom, the force sending him into a tailspin, the edge of the bludger nipping him none to softly in the leg. Yes Ginny was mad at Harry for what he said and what he was doing, but she was not cruel, she didn't want to shatter his ribs or any other body part by hitting him directly on, she just wanted to make sure he didn't get the snitch. Draco didn't take the time to look back and see what had happen to his opponent, he just kept his focus on the snitch and didn't relax it until the golden snitch was nestled safely in his hands. Ginny screamed and threw her hands in the air, forgetting that she was holding a bat as it fell off her broom and landed on the head of a Gryffandor chaser that was sitting on her broom directly below Ginny. Malfoy couldn't help the grin that split across his face as he raised his black-gloved fist in the air, the snitch squirming uneasily in his grasp. The Slytherin section burst into cheers, they had finally beaten Gryffandor.

Harry sat dejectedly on his broom, staring hard at the celebrating Slytherin team, still in a haze. He just couldn't believe it, he had lost. He looked over and his green eyes caught the backward glance of the brown eyes of Angelina Gracin. Her face was smug, but something in it seemed apologetic, it confused him a little. Harry bit his lip before flying away, heading back with the rest of the Gryffandor team to the locker room, thankful that the bludger had only hit his broom and not himself. Good thing Crabbe and Goyle were bad shots.

The Slytherin team flew back into their locker amidst great cheering; each of them had a bright smile upon their face. Blaise gave Ginny a hug when they got back in, both screaming childishly causing Crabbe to yell at them irritably to shut up.

"I just wanted to say that you all played really well today and that I'm not going to say much because no words are needed, we know how each other is feeling about this." Malfoy said with a grin.

"Man did you see that! Draco that was an amazing catch!" Tristan said excitedly.

"Yeah, but did you see that hit Angelina did on Potter? Absolutely amazing." Goyle countered.

"Yeah that was bloody brilliant too." Tristan agreed.

"Right, now you are all dismissed, shower, eat, whatever, we won't be having practice tomorrow, but I expect to see you all on the field in two days." Draco said. The Slytherin team hollered happily at the prospect of not having practice and slowly drained out of the locker room clapping each other on the back and talking excitedly. As Ginny left she felt someone trailing behind her, when she reached the locker room door, she fumbled and dropped her broom. When she bent down to pick it up, Draco was beside her to do the same thing. Picking up her broom, he handed it to her and leaned in to whisper in her ear.

"Great job today Angelina." Draco's warm breath tickled Ginny's skin sending cool shivers down her body as he stood and walked away leaving her squatting on the ground. Ginny touched the side of her neck by her ear where Draco's breath had brushed her skin and felt it tingle. Catching her thoughts, Ginny straightened herself and stood up.

"Draco Malfoy does not and never will make Ginny Weasely tingle." She said to herself sticking her head up in the air and walking out ignoring her mind's protest that she was no longer Ginny Weasely.

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**That is it for this chapter, sorry it took so long to get out, I was being really lazy. I was just wanted to attribute some of my information to The Harry Potter Lexicon (http: This is where I got my information about Legilimency. It's a pretty interesting site, but somewhat difficult to navigate and reach the things you want too. Things are going to moving along next chapter, hopefully the most with Ginny and Draco's relationship as well as with the developments about the secret memory Ginny has. Please review, I don't have very many! Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it!**

**.:Angelgr185:.**


	8. Putting Together the Pieces

Friends Close, Enemies Closer

**.:Angelgrl185:.**

_((I do not own the Harry Potter Series or any of its components))_

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**zenni:** Haha, yeah I love their little chats and the quips, thanks for the review!

**BlindedOne:** This is definitely a Ginny/Draco fic. I like my chapters to be at least four thousand words. Thanks for catching the mistake; I knew I'd mess up with that sometime. Blaise is a guy in the actually Harry Potter books I believe, but I think at one point people weren't sure of Blaise's actually sex so different stories have it different ways. I personally like the portrayal of Blaise as a girl then a boy before I knew that Blaise was actually a boy. That's why he is a girl in my fic. Confusing, I know, but thanks for the review!

**Lia3:** I know a lot of people do the whole Ginny gets a makeover or becomes a bad girl thing, but I honestly don't believe it will fit that well in this. Ginny has already become a little more bold and aggressive in her actions, but you can't expect her to make such drastic changes in a couple of weeks, even if it is Slytherin influence. About the makeover thing, Angelina needs to not be attractive. I want Draco to fall for Angelina's personality not looks, that way, when he finds out it really is the beautiful Ginny Weasely, it makes all the better. If Angelina was pretty, then maybe Draco would prefer Angelina's looks to Ginny's. I know its my story and I can do whatever I want and make Draco like Ginny's prettiness better than Angelina's, but I really want Draco to fall in love with Ginny's personality without realizing it's Ginny. That's the only way I feel Draco could ever fall in love with Ginny because in actuality, they hate each other. Ok, that was a long explanation, hope it wasn't too confusing!

**Grneydbandit: **its hard that they don't know who she is, but you are right, but it will soon be revealed so you don't have to agonize much longer! Thanks for the review!

**Lilith Riddle:** Thanks for the review and you English is really good and its my only language! (Well I speak a bare minimum of French)

**darkangel:** hahaha, I like Harry, but in this story he definitely had that coming. I was considering having Harry actually get injured, but then I knew it would ruin the whole brother/sister protecting relationship when it is revealed that it was actually Ginny who did that and I need that for the end. Maybe next time!

**TropicalTreat101:** Ok, look at Lia3's answer to get the whole Ginny makeover explanation, but one will happen, just not as Angelina. Hmmm, Blaise is slowly solving the puzzle even as we speak, more so in this chapter. The quidditch recognition thing probably not cause it's such a minor notation and no one is really looking for that, specially not Ron when he "knows" she is in a wizard protection program at the ministry. Thanks for catching the Gryffindor thing for me, I also think I was spelling Weasley wrong, I believe I was doing Weasely. Thanks for the review!

**TrippyGirl20051: **Thanks! I hate it when people portray the characters wrong too! Especially when it comes to Draco cause he has such an amazing personality! I know mine isn't up to JK's standards, but I'm trying. Thanks for the review!

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Chapter Seven: Putting Together the Pieces

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Ginny Weasley couldn't keep the smile off her face and although it was nice feeling so wonderful, her face was beginning to hurt. Deciding a nice hot shower would relax the muscles on her face and also clean off the cooled sweat, Ginny headed from the locker room back towards the Slytherin house. If felt amazing, beating Gryffindor and the famed seeker Harry Potter. It made Ginny feel even better to know that she had a hand in it. It was kind of a thrill knocking the bludger into Harry's broom, making him tailspin. Maybe next time she'll knock him clean off. Ginny pondered the thought, in her mind watching herself send a bludger expertly towards Harry, cuffing him in the shoulder causing him to lose his balance and fall. Ginny involuntarily shuddered. She may be in Slytherin now, but intentionally hurting someone was a little much, even if that someone said she was ugly and shapeless, basically insulting her entire being. No, Harry got what he deserved, losing the snitch to Malfoy is something the Slytherins will never let him live down, something he will never be able to forget. For Harry Potter, to be in second place to Draco Malfoy is one of the harshest things that could ever of happened to the Gryffandor seeker. 

Ginny walked into her room and laid her Firebolt on her bed as she quickly stripped off her quidditch robes and put on a bathrobe. Gathering her bathing items, Ginny walked downstairs to the girl's bathroom place not so strategically next to the boy's bathroom. Unfortunately, it was just her luck when Malfoy came down the stairs whistling cheerfully and donned only in a deep green Slytherin towel. Ginny froze in her spot when she saw Malfoy praying that he wouldn't notice her. Suddenly she was feeling very self-conscious only being clothed in a light robe and she felt strangely naked although Draco was the one who was half naked. Before Ginny could catch herself, she was drinking in the sight of Draco's firm and trimmed body. Draco turned his head and caught sight of Ginny staring at him.

"Like what you see, Angelina?" he asked teasingly causing Ginny to snap out of her trance and pull her eyes from his chest to his smirking face. Ginny felt her cheeks grow heated as a blush painted her cheeks. Draco just smirked with a knowing look before giving Ginny a wink and disappearing into the boy's bathroom.

"Ugh!" Ginny moaned burying her face in her hand. "I can't believe I was just caught by Malfoy checking him out. I can't believe I was checking him out!" Ginny said exasperated.

'That's because he's hot and has a very tasty body.' Her mind said.

"Oh my gosh, I did not just think that." Ginny groaned.

'Oh but you did.' Her mind smirked taunting her with images of Draco's finely chiseled torso.

"Stop it you traitor, you're supposed to be on my side!" Ginny hissed.

'I am on your side, how can I not be? I am you. Therefore, what I think is what you think and if I think Draco Malfoy is a nice piece of meat, then so do you. Stop denying it and accept the attraction, it is only natural.' Her mind countered to its own glee and Ginny's annoyance.

Ginny just scowled, refusing to debate anymore and jumped into the shower. Her mind however was relentless and wouldn't stop flooding Ginny's mind with the image of Draco, playing it over and over until she finally relented and agreed that she _possibly_ thought Draco was _slightly_ attractive, but only the _teeniest_ bit.

When she finished her shower, Ginny turned off the water and toweled herself off before putting back on her robe and heading back towards the upstairs. With each step she took, however, she seemed to grow more and more lightheaded as a harsh pounding erupted in her head making her grow weak with pain. Ginny screamed as vibrant images exploded in her mind causing extreme pain. Vaguely in the background, she heard someone calling her name, asking if she was all right. The voice filled with concern began to fade as a hand grasped Ginny's arm and Ginny succumbed to the memory.

* * *

_It was an enchanted place, that's for sure. Ginny looked around in awe at the cavern she was in. Divided into two halves surrounding a small circle, scalding hot lava boiled in one half while clear, cold water lay still in the other half. The perfect circle in the center was three feet deep, one third of it filled with pure white sand. This place was unnatural, the water should have evaporated from the heat of the lava, but it hadn't. The sand should have melted and crystallized because of the heat from the lava, but it hadn't._

_'What is this place?' Ginny wondered to herself. 'Why am I here?'_

_As if to answer her unspoken question, an object suspended in the air, hovering above the pit, caught her attention. It was the most magnificent sword Ginny had ever seen. The length was at least six feet long, the hilt black with small diamond studs designed into the handle. The light from the cavern's lava glinted and reflected in the sleek silver blade, the edges appeared to be razor sharp. Completely breathtaking, it called to her. Ginny could feel the immense power radiating from the blade and her fingers itched to touch it. _

_'What is it?' Ginny asked, but received no answer as the image faded and she found herself watching the familiar circle of death eaters._

_"My Lord, what a magnificent vision, but how is this possible? I thought it was only a legend." One death eater rasped softly._

_"No, it is very much real and that Masamune will be mine, once I have it, nothing can stop me." The dark lord's eyes gleamed as he laughed, an eerie, horrid sound that continued to ring in Ginny's ears even as she woke up._

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Ginny woke up and found herself cradled in strong arms as a soft hand gently ran its fingers through her straight brown hair. Ginny opened her brown eyes and sat up, pushing away the body and placing her hands on the side of her head. She couldn't believe what she had just seen; she needed to tell Dumbledore quickly. Ginny massaged her temples slowly, feeling disoriented, almost drunk.

"Angelina, are you alright?" a soft voice asked, concerned etched in it. Ginny turned to look at Blaise, the worry on her face mirroring her own.

"I saw it, I finally saw it." Ginny choked out, her eyes wide and scared.

"Saw what Angelina? What are you talking about?" Blaise asked obviously confused.

"The memories, the forgotten memories." Ginny continued to blab.

"Angelina, what memories, what did you see?" Blaise tried again, trying to understand her unsettled friend.

"The Chamber memories, the Chamber, he's going to come back, he's found a way!" Ginny yelled.

"The Chamber?" Blaise repeated questioningly as she thought about it, tilting her head. Her eyes grew wide and she stared at Ginny. "Are you talking about the Chamber of Secrets? Angelina, you weren't here for that, how could you possibly know…" Blaise began, her voice trailing off as she became lost in thought.

"Dumbledore, I need to see Dumbledore." Ginny said with urgency, grabbing onto the front of Blaise's robes. Blaise didn't ask anymore questions, but just nodded, helping Ginny stand up and pulled her upstairs so she could change before letting her leave to get Dumbledore.

As Ginny walked, she calmed down more and more, her breathing finally settling and the laughter ceasing to ring in her head. She reached the door of Dumbledore's office, unsure of how to get in. She'd never actually been to his office. While she was standing there pondering, the door slowly opened on its own, letting Ginny enter the room. Professor Dumbledore was sitting in a chair, his hands folded on the top of his knee, staring expectantly at her.

"I've been waiting for you to come to me Miss Ginny Weasley." He said his blue eyes twinkling merrily.

"How are you getting along? The potion is working fine I see. Congratulations on the win today, excellent game, excellent. Are the Slytherins treating you nicely? They may be a ragged bunch, but very loyal to their own they are." Dumbledore talked all the while watching Ginny fidgeting nervously before him.

"I see however, that you are not here to engage in talk. Well then Miss. Weasley, why have you come to me?" Dumbledore asked letting Ginny finally speak.

"I've gotten the memory back." Ginny blurted out, not really knowing how to relay the information. As soon as the words fell from her lips Dumbledore immediately grew serious, motioning for her to sit down.

"All of it?" he asked.

"I believe so." Ginny replied.

"Tell me." Ginny took a deep breath and retold the memory. Dumbledore sat back in his chair when Ginny finished relaying the memory to him, his countenance hard and unreadable.

"Sir, what is the Masamune?" Ginny asked, her curiosity getting the best of her. Dumbledore looked at her warily before answering.

"It is a dangerous weapon Miss. Weasley, one only known as a legend." He answered.

"A legend? If it is only a legend, then how will Voldemort be able to obtain it?" Ginny said puzzled.

"Apparently it really isn't a legend, let me tell you the story, maybe you will understand a little bit more." Dumbledore said before explaining.

"A long time ago, in the legends of the gods, there were four gods who were considered the most powerful of them all. They were, Jupiter, god of lightning, Neptune, god of water, Mars, god of flame and Uranus, god of earth. These four gods knew that they were powerful and knew that they could one day be corrupted by their greed for power. Together, they made a weapon, forged from the combination of each of their elements that could ultimately defeat them all if the time so arises. They may have been gods, but they did care for the world that had been created and created the Masamune as a way to protect it from themselves." Dumbledore finished, but Ginny looked at him expectantly.

"Is that it? What is the point of Voldemort getting his hands on the Masamune if he can only kill some legendary gods?" Ginny asked pointedly.

"The Masamune is said to give the holder the power of life and death. The Masamune can kill anything; there is nothing that its sharp blade cannot pierce. It is supposedly the largest sword ever created, but bewitched to be light and easy to wield. The bearer also becomes immortal and the only way to be killed is by the Masamune itself." Dumbledore added.

"Then how does one become immortal? Do they only have to touch the blade and then they are given immortality? How can the Masamune be destroyed?" Ginny asked firing questions at Dumbledore.

"I'm sorry to say I do not know the answers to those questions." Dumbledore admitted.

"What are we going to do?" Ginny asked.

"It seems that we are going to have to find the sword before he does, granted Voldemort has not found it already. If that blade falls into his hands, the world will surely pay for it." Dumbledore said gravely.

"There is one more thing." Ginny said softly.

"Yes Miss Weasley?" Professor Dumbledore said.

"I think, no wait, I know, I am a Legilimens." Ginny confessed looking down at her hands.

"Is this so? I had my suspicions, but it was up to you to find out for yourself. I guess there is a congratulations in order, the gift of Legilimency is a very rare and special thing. It can also be very dangerous. I'm am going to have Dr. Philips train you in the art of Legilimency as well as Occlumency, you need to be prepared for anything, especially with what we are dealing with now. Voldemort is a skilled Legilimens and we do not need him exerting his power on an untrained mind." Dumbledore decided.

"Ginny I will inform Professor Philips of the matter and you will start your training immediately. Is there anything else you wish to tell me?" he asked studying her.

"No Professor, thanks for everything though." Ginny said before waving and exiting his room. Ginny walked back towards the dormitory, her mind buzzing with all the information she had just obtained.

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A week later from the fight found Draco Malfoy sulking in Professor McGonagall's room next to stinking Harry Potter. He growled angrily as he scrubbed the top of a desk. Who did they think they were, reducing him to the level of a house elf? Making him clean that stupid classroom just because he gave Potter what he deserved. They should be thanking him instead, not making him clean filth. Who did he think he is? Picking on someone like he's better than everyone else? 

'That's exactly how you act.' His mind reminded him.

'That's because I am better than everyone.' Draco sneered to himself, 'There is a difference here.' Malfoy felt a gaze heating his back and turned to find boy wonder staring at him.

"What are you looking at Potter?" Draco said vehemently.

"Not much." Harry replied with a smirk. Draco glared back at him, not even bothering to respond before turning back to his work, muttering under his breath. Draco continued working in silence, imaging each desk he scrubbed roughly with his bristled brush was Harry Potter's face.

"You like her don't you." Harry's voice broke through the silence boldly. Draco whipped his head around and glared at Harry again.

"Where the hell do you get off talking to me?" Draco demanded making his voice sound superior.

"That's why you did it, that's why you defended her." Harry persisted. Draco threw him an annoyed look before answering.

"I protect all my Slytherins from idiots like you." Draco said casually, dipping his brush forcefully into the bucket, causing soapy water to spill out over the edges.

"Yeah, but usually you are all talk, this time you acted, this time you actually hit someone." Harry dared to point out, no longer working on a desk but now staring blatantly at Draco. Draco turned his gaze from the floor and met Harry's eyes, steel for steel.

"I'd advise you to not talk about things you have no idea about." Draco said unspoken threats laced in his words. Harry just shrugged and went back to his work.

"You're right, it is none of my business." Harry admitted.

"You're sure as hell it's not." Draco agreed.

"It's just interesting to know that the Slytherin King is going soft." Harry said with a sly grin enjoying being on top for once, enjoying having the power to goad Malfoy, to really get to him. Draco hissed his aggravation in response, his cool gray eyes flashing dangerously at Harry.

"If you don't shut up Potter, you are going to wish you never opened your mouth." Draco warned menacingly pulling his wand out from his robe and pointing it at Harry. Harry, reading the look in his eyes and knowing Draco meant it, promptly shut his mouth and didn't talk. He didn't feel like being hexed or having any more detentions. Now really annoyed, Draco scrubbed even harder as if to try and erase the thoughts that were now flitting around in his head thanks to good for nothing scar-face.

'I don't like her.' He told himself.

'Sure you don't.' his mind sarcastically agreed.

'Potter's right, she's not even pretty, no body or anything to work with.' Draco argued.

'Does that really matter?' his mind asked.

'Yes.' Draco automatically replied. 'As nice at it is to say that appearances don't matter, no one can like someone they aren't physically attracted too. It isn't a complete deal, only half a like.' He said smugly knowing he was right. His mind remained silent for a moment, as if plotting against him.

'So you admit to liking half of her then?' his mind countered gleefully.

'What? Where did you get that from?' Draco asked wanting to throttle his own mind.

'You said you weren't attracted to her physically, you never denied being attracted to her personality and stuff.' His mind pointed out. Draco mentally groaned, but was unable to disprove his mind's bantering, after all it was his mind and knew him all too well.

'She's got everything you need. She is a Slytherin which also means she is purebred, she's awesome at quidditch, funny, not scared of you nor afraid to dish back your attitude. She's basically your counterpart.' His mind concluded.

'My ugly counterpart.' Draco mused.

'We can get past that.' His mind reasoned.

'Stop it! I'm not attracted to her physically and there is no way in hell I ever will be!' Draco yelled.

'Maybe Blaise can fix that?' his mind suggested.

'I don't think so, she'd need a whole new physical appearance in order for that to happen.' Draco appraised. He could feel his mind literally shake its head at him before it relented and left him alone about the subject of Angelina. Draco gritted his teeth and returned to his cleaning intent on washing away all fragments of Angelina still gracing his mind.

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Ginny walked into the great hall, her stomach rumbling with hunger. She eagerly took her seat next to Blaise at the Slytherin table and noted that Draco was sitting an unusual number of seats away from her. Shrugging, she waited impatiently for the food to appear on the trays in front of them and immediately dug into the macaroni that happened to appear directly in front of her to her delight. 

"Hey Angelina, how have you been doing this week?" Blaise asked nonchalantly. Ginny turned her head and looked at her friend.

"Why?" she asked suspiciously.

"Oh no reason, just seeing how you are holding up after your freak out a couple of days ago." Blaise shrugged and continued to eat her salad.

"Oh that, yeah, I'm fine. It wasn't a big deal." Ginny lied burying her face in her macaroni.

"Really? Well there was something that kept picking at me." Blaise spoke again.

"Yeah? What's that?" Ginny asked chomping on the cheesiness.

"You mentioned the Chamber of Secrets." Blaise leaned in and whispered in her ear. "Now how did you know about that? You weren't here and the information was highly contained, leaking spells were placed on all of us about it." Blaise added staring hard at Ginny. Ginny froze mid chew before swallowing nervously.

"I don't know what you are talking about." Ginny lied again.

"Oh I think you do, Angelina." Blaise said the Slytherin edge coming into her voice. "And I think I deserve to know what is going on, after all I'm your best friend and helped you through a lot."

"I'm sorry Blaise, I just can't tell you." Ginny said truthfully. Blaise read it in her eyes and left the matter alone, for now. To Ginny's relief, the tone changed when owls swooped into the great hall to deliver the mail. She noticed a rather large and beautiful owl heading towards Draco and dropped a fancy looking scroll in his hands. Draco opened the scroll and read the message, a frown instantly marring his beautiful face.

'Wait a minute, did I just think beautiful?' Ginny screeched to herself.

'That you did dear, that you did.' Her mind affirmed a little too smugly for Ginny's taste. Ginny turned her attention back to Draco who had finished reading the letter and was clenching it in his fist as he scowled. Pushing back his plate, he abruptly got up from the table and walked out of the great hall. Ginny fought the urge to go after him, reminding herself that it was none of her business and that she didn't care two cents about Draco Malfoy. She had to remind herself really hard about the latter part.

* * *

Draco lounged on the green couch in front of the fireplace, the heated embers echoing his mood at the moment. His head was resting comfortably against one of the feather down pillows; one arm casually lying across his chest, the other drooped off the side of the couch still clutching the letter. The letter, that stupid letter. Draco resisted the urge to toss it in the fire in hopes that it would just burn away his problems along with it. Choices, gods he hated the choices he was faced with right now. Everyone wanted him to make stupid choices, his father for one, even Dumbledore. There was one choice he knew he definitely wasn't going to go along with, the other, not so sure. Draco continued to muse in front of the fire when the portrait to the house swung open, alerting his attention to the fact that someone was entering the common room. He ignored the figure even as she plopped down next to him on the couch and heaved a great sigh, her eyes narrowed with fatigue. No longer able to resist, he looked over at her, she was staring absentmindedly into the fire, her fingers playing with the tips of her hair. 

"Did you want something Gracin?" he finally asked, his voice sharper then he meant it to be. She looked up at him, bewildered before answering.

"No." Ginny replied softly, but didn't turn her gaze back to the fire. Instead she stared into Draco's silvery eyes. Draco tried to look away, but for some reason he couldn't. He felt as if Angelina was reading his soul and it disturbed him greatly. That's when he realized it, recognized it more so. The glassy look, the compelling stare, well he wouldn't tolerate it.

"What do you think you are doing?" he said, breaking through the barrier and glaring at her. Ginny looked unfocused for a minute before ducking her head in shame...

* * *

Ginny stumbled into the common room, her mind ached and she was exhausted. She had just come back from her last Legilimency and Occlumency training and it was the hardest one yet. She had never felt so drained in her entire life. Without even realizing her motions, she journeyed across the room and collapsed non-to gracefully onto the couch in front of the fire, not even noticing that it was already occupied. She barely missed sitting on his feet when she landed against the plush couch. Staring into the fire, she pondered her newfound ability. Dr. Philips had drilled her over and over. She now knew how to control her thoughts, knew how to lock them away while probing someone else's, knew how to safeguard them against an intruder, knew how to efficiently delve into someone else's mind and so forth. She felt quite proud of her advancement and capabilities and although she was tired, she really wanted to test them out on someone who wasn't a Legilimens like Dr. Philips. 

"Did you want something Gracin?" Draco drawled lazily catching her attention. Startled, she finally looked away from the fire towards Draco just realizing his presence.

"No." she answered while she studied him. Draco was as mysterious as they come, he would be a perfect subject to test her abilities on, besides, maybe she could find out if he…

'Stop it, don't even finish that train of thought.' Ginny scolded herself turning her gaze until it was completely focused on Draco's cool gray eyes. She noticed then that he had long black eyelashes that seemed to bring out the silvery glint in his eyes even more. Mentally glaring at herself, Ginny next cleared her mind, keeping her focus on Draco's eyes. She reached out then, projecting herself into his mind and was suddenly in the familiar memory room. The orbs in Draco's mind were fluid silver, thousands of orbs hovering in the room. Professor Philips had taught her that the orbs closest to the bottom, or to her, where the memories and thoughts that the person was thinking about the most, or were the most recent ones. Memories and thoughts from years past were further up in the room. A silvery orb floated by her and she immediately reached out and grabbed it, thrusting herself in the memory.

* * *

_The manor was cold and lifeless, lit by dim lights and flooded with silence. Draco walked softly along the corridor, his shadow reflecting his mood on the walls where it appeared, dark. There was a light lit at the end of the hallway, his father's study was open and the lamp's light was seeping out into the hallway, beckoning him and although there were many places he'd rather be, Draco was bound to go. He walked along, pride holding his platinum head high, his silver eyes glinting in the faded light, his lips rigid and his face a calm mask as he entered the room. Lucius Malfoy didn't even grace his only son with an acknowledgement, just waved him over to the seat in front of his desk. Draco, following his father's silent order, settled himself on the edge of the black leather seat, just as he himself was on edge. _

"_You know why I have summoned you here?" his father's voice was silky and flowed easily from thin, bloodless lips. _

"_Yes Sir." Draco answered evenly, holding his head high, his gaze penetrating his father's bowed head._

"_Good, then I don't have to waste my precious time, or our Lord's with mindless talk. You have a choice presented before you and until the dawn of the Lord's rise to make it." Lucius deemed with a curt voice still not looking up to address his heir. _

"_Yes Sir." Draco replied in the same monotone, no indication of his feelings present._

"_You do know it would make me proud to have my only son standing beside me when our Lord rises to ultimate power. I hope you make the right choice Draco, your life depends on it." His father said, a hint of threat laced in the smooth, praising words. _

"_Yes Sir." Draco repeated his gaze never leaving the top of his father's faded blond head. _

_"That is all, you will receive a letter when the time has drawn neigh for your decision, you are dismissed." Lucius concluded waving Draco off with a hand. Draco rose silently from the edge of his seat and walked stiffly out of the room._

_

* * *

_

"What do you think you are doing?" a steely voice broke through her mind and she felt her hold on the memory weaken, the image of Draco walking out of the room fading into darkness, the sound of his thoughts decreasing in her own mind. Ginny shook her head as the connection was abruptly broken and tried to clear her thoughts. Realizing that she had been caught probing into Draco's mind, Ginny ducked her head in embarrassment, unable to look him in the eyes.

"What did you see?" he demanded evenly. Ginny wracked her brain for a way to get out of the situation, but her normally feisty mind seemed to be at a loss for words.

"I saw that you were struggling with something, I saw that you have a choice to make that will change the course of your life." Ginny answered truthfully without giving much detail to what the choice was.

"That's just one of the many." Draco muttered under his breath, which Ginny barely caught. Her attention was drawn to the letter in Draco's hand when he flexed his fist in frustration.

"Is that the letter?" she asked staring at the fancy parchment paper.

"What letter?"

"The letter notifying you that the time has come to make your choice." Ginny answered steadily.

"So you saw that choice." Draco mused brushing some stray hair out of his face. "Yes this is the letter."

"Can, can I read it?" Ginny asked softly bringing her eyes back to Draco's. Draco considered her request, seemingly on the verge of saying no, but instead, nodded his head, but made no move to give the letter to Ginny. Ginny hesitantly reached across his body and grabbed the letter, pulling it from Draco's grasp. Opening it, she read.

_My Son,_

_The eve of the Lord's rise to power has come. Join us and be rewarded with wealth and power beyond your imagination, refuse us and be rewarded with pain and death. You have one week. _

_Lucius Malfoy_

Ginny dropped the letter, both watching silently as it floated lazily to the floor.

"Would he really do that? Kill his own son?" Ginny said turning towards Draco. He laughed eerily, his eyes filled with emotions Ginny could not read.

"Kill his own son, no, he wouldn't even have the balls to do that. He would have someone else to do his dirty work." Draco said bitterly.

"What are you going to do?" Ginny asked.

"What I have to do." Was the cold reply she received. Ginny nodded her head as if accepting the answer, accepting that it was something Draco was going to keep to himself. She felt her fatigue catching up to her, but the couch was too comfortable and she couldn't gather enough strength to pull herself up. As sleep stole away, she felt her eyes drifting shut as her head fell down to the side of the couch and Ginny got a brief feeling that there was something important she was supposed to do today, but sleep grabbed her before she could remember what it was.

* * *

**Here is the next chapter, must faster I must say then the last one came. I've gotten a sudden inspiration and basically planned the rest of the entire story out. I'm really excited about it! Tell me how you liked it and whatever else you want to relay to me about my story. Thanks for reading and please review!**

**.:Angelgrl185:.**


	9. Deceived

Friends Close, Enemies Closer

**.:Angelgrl185:.**

_((I don't own the Harry Potter Series of any of its components))_

_

* * *

_

**SaintEmo:** Glad you like it and thanks for the review and for adding me to your favorites!

**Blinded One:** Muwahaha, you will find out in this chapter!

**Dark Paris: **Hey! I'm working on VP2, I actually finished the first chapter or prologue, but I'm going to wait until this is done before I post and really start developing it. My writing style, I was just born with it I guess. I didn't really pick it up anywhere, it's just how I started writing. I love writing descriptions and I have a quirky sense of humor so I think it comes across sometimes. shrugs Thanks for the review!

**TropicalTreat101:** I'm glad you understand. You will learn more about Draco's choice here and Blaise is suspicious.

**Llcrayolall:** thanks for the review! Here's the next chappie for you!

**Lady lorethei: **So many reviews! Awesome! Thanks! Yeah I know Blaise is a guy, but I have read stories with him being a girl and I like him that way. Thanks for the reviews!

**TrippyGirl20051: **Hahah, thanks for the review, I'm glad you are excited. This chappie should explain some stuff for you!

**LilithRiddle:** I have no problems with it being Translated, but how does that work?

**LostRose:** I'm glad I can keep your attention! I was having the same problems! That's why I decided to write one.

**Extreme Dancer:** Thanks!

* * *

Chapter Eight: Deceived

* * *

Draco woke to the sweet scent of strawberries wafting through his nostrils and the touch of soft curls tickling his face. He could feel a lean arm draped around his waist and a head resting on his firm chest. The arm on his waist flexed then and tightened its grasp on him, burying the warm body sleeping on him even closer. Draco inhaled the scent of the person sleeping on him, no the woman sleeping on him he realized as he trailed his fingers down her slender curves. Resting his arm along her waist, he drew her close enjoying the fact that her body seemed to form to his. That's when he realized that there shouldn't be a woman sleeping on him.

Refusing to open his eyes in case it was a good dream and it would disappear, Draco tried to think back to the events from the night before. Running his day through his mind, Draco paused at the memory of when he was thinking on the couch and Angelina…Angelina. Angelina had fallen asleep against the headrest last night and he must've as well. Somehow she ended up snuggled against him asleep and in a very provocative position he must add. One of her legs was draped over his, their thighs practically touching. Draco grunted when Angelina stirred and moved her body against him as she repositioned herself in her sleep.

Draco sighed when he accepted the fact that his body was not going to let him go back to sleep especially under these circumstances. Sure he didn't think Angelina was attractive at all, but she was definitely still a female and he was a male. Something irked Draco about the situation, something wasn't right. Gently he ran his fingers down Angelina's slender form and once again felt the soft curves. Angelina didn't have curves, she was completely formless one of the reasons Draco wasn't attracted to her. What was going on? Draco slit his eyes opened and the silver orbs opened completely when instead of seeing the slightly greasy brown hair he was expecting, they landed on vibrant red curls that were highlighted with golden flecks from the fireplace.

* * *

Ginny snuggled closer to the soft body that was resting under her. Her hands were pressed against a firm chest and her body was lying perpendicular to it. She had one leg draped halfway over his and her head was snuggled in between his broad shoulders and neck. Ginny breathed in deeply enjoying the spicy masculine scent he omitted. That's when she realized she wasn't supposed to be sleeping on anyone, especially not a guy. Her eyes flew wide open when she recanted the past night and figured out whom indeed it was that she was lying intimately on.

'Oh my gosh, oh my gosh!' Ginny went haywire in her mind. 'What am I doing? I'm snuggled up against Draco Malfoy!'

'Feels rather nice doesn't it?' her mind whispered.

'Shut-up,' Ginny said dryly not admitting that it felt rather nice indeed.

Ginny quickly debated where to put her hands so she could get off of Draco without waking him, but apparently it didn't matter. When she moved her arms a sharp voice stopped her.

"What is going on?" Draco asked a dangerous edge in his voice. Ginny glanced up at him surprised at the cruelness in his tone. His face was stone cold and he glared at her fiercely through stormy gray eyes. Ginny bit her lip. Apparently Draco really didn't like the fact of her sleeping on him. Ginny opened her mouth to explain that it was an accident and that she must've fallen down when she slept. She absentmindedly ran her fingers through her hair, startling when they caught on tangles. Grabbing the ends Ginny brought them towards her face and her bright green eyes grew horrified when the shiny amber tints caught her attention. Ginny looked back to Draco's calculating gaze and froze.

"Oh no."

"What kind of game are you trying to play Weasel?" Draco hissed his eyes burning with intensity.

"No Draco it's-" Ginny tried to explain but he cut her off.

"Do not call me Draco. That is what my friends say and you, Weasel, are not one of them," Draco growled. Ginny flinched at his words as they cut deep in her.

"So what are you trying to do Weasel? Are you and your pathetic Gryffindors trying to pull a fast one over the Slytherins? Think it'd be funny to secretly befriend a Malfoy and then ridicule him in front of the whole school? That's sure to bring honor to the shabby Weasel clan," Draco hypothesized sarcastically his face darkening with every idea. He pulled his form out from under her and roughly shoved her off of him.

"No, you don't understand!" Ginny protested ready to explain.

"I understand perfectly Weasel. I want you out of my house even if you are a snake," Draco said in cold finality. Ginny felt hot tears of frustration brimming in her eyes as they tried to plead with Draco's. He just stood up from the couch and left, his hands clenched and pinned to his sides. Ginny sank back against the couch and placed her head in her hands. She couldn't stop the tears from running down her face.

"Ginny?" the voice who posed the question was soft and unsure. Ginny hushed her sobs and wiped away her tears, composing herself before facing her best friend.

"Hi Blaise," Ginny said giving the girl a grim look.

"You going to scream at me too? Accuse me of treachery?" Ginny asked bitterly. Blaise didn't answer but came down and sat next to her.

"I heard shouting so I came downstairs. Everyone else is still asleep. You can sneak up really quickly and get your things before anyone sees you," Blaise suggested.

"Why are you being nice? Aren't you mad at me too?" Ginny wondered. Blaise shook her head; her raven looks falling into her face.

"I kind of knew already," Blaise admitted.

"What? How?" Ginny questioned in surprise.

"Lots of reasons. Angelina came the day Dumbledore announced you were dead plus we've never had an exchange student before. Then you weren't even sorted in front of us and that is a huge Hogwarts tradition and honor," Blaise explained.

"Then there were the other things. Angelina being really good at potions, she learned quidditch from her many brothers and what really sealed it was how she knew about the Chamber of Secrets," Blaise finished.

"Wow, you're smart. No one else knows except for Dumbledore and Professor Philips," Ginny said.

"Professor Philips, why does he know?" Blaise asked.

"He's the one who made the transforming potion for me," Ginny replied.

"Hm, he's kind of cute for a professor," Blaise decided.

"Ew, Blaise! That's so gross!" Ginny squealed causing them both to break out into laughter.

"I see Draco didn't take the news very well," Blaise observed bringing down the mood. "How'd he find out anyways?"

"I was so busy yesterday I forgot to take my potion. When I came back here we were talking and I guess we both fell asleep on the couch. When I woke up I had changed back and saying he wasn't happy is a huge understatement," Ginny explained leaving out the position they woke up in.

"Awe, that's so cute. You two were sleeping together," Blaise snickered. "Why didn't you just tell him the truth?"

"I tried! He wouldn't let me!" Ginny said frustrated.

"He's such a thick headed idiot! Draco thought the Gryffindors were trying to play some sick joke on him. If he had actually thought about it, he would have realized that Dumbledore told everyone I was dead and they even held a memorial service for me! Dumbledore wouldn't be part of a mean prank." Ginny grumbled.

"Why did you do this then?" Blaise asked curiously. Ginny hesitated before answering, but sighed and began to speak.

"My life was in danger. When I was in the Chamber of Secrets, I unknowingly tapped into my Legilimency powers and saw a memory of Tom Riddles' that was about his attempt to come back to power. His memory erase charm failed and only blew away that memory. Recently I've been getting the memory back and Lord Voldemort is trying to find me so he can kill me before I can tell anyone the whole memory," Ginny explained. Blaise's eyes went wide as saucers.

"Wait a minute, I don't understand how Tom Riddle would know anything about being Lord Voldemort and coming back to power and stuff. He was only a kid then," Blaise said.

"Yeah I wondered that too, but I think it's cause the Voldemort of our age is a Legilimens, he was kind of manipulating his past self or something back in the Chamber through the diary so it wasn't really the actually Tom Riddle," Ginny explained.

"How is he going to come back to power?" Blaise wondered.

"There is some kind of weapon he's seeking, but according to my memories, he hasn't found it yet," Ginny replied.

"Oh my gosh, Angelina, I mean, Ginny. We need to get you out of here. Draco's really mad. What if he lets it slip to his father that you are alive and in Hogwarts?" Blaise said frantically.

"His father…" Ginny murmured as she tried to remember something hovering in the back of her mind. "The letter."

"What letter?" Blaise frowned in confusion.

"I can't really explain it to you because it's Draco's business, but he got a letter from his father last night that basically signified that the dark lord was close to coming back to power. That must mean he has found the Masamune," Ginny realized.

"Masamune, isn't that the legendary sword?" Blaise asked tilting her head to the side. Ginny nodded her head as her face scrunched up in concentration. Silence ensued before Blaise broke it.

"What are you doing?" Blaise asked her.

"I'm trying to think," Ginny growled back annoyed at being interrupted.

"Dumbledore definitely needs to be notified about this and we need to hurry up and find the Masamune before Voldemort does, but how? We have no idea where it is." Ginny mumbled to herself. Blaise waited patiently for the redhead to make some kind of sense.

"Only Voldemort knows where it is and its not like we can just ask him politely to tell us the location," Ginny went on to herself. An idea flashed in her mind and her green eyes seemed to sparkle.

"I got it," Ginny said to Blaise.

"Got what?" Blaise asked utterly confused as to what had just happened.

"Voldemort is on the brink of returning and he knows where the Masamune is. If he gets it then our world is destroyed. Voldemort is the only one who knows where it is and it is imperative that we know. The only way we can is if someone probes his mind and that is what I'm going to do," Ginny said taking a deep breath.

"No Ginny, you can't do that. It's too dangerous," Blaise protested.

"It's the only way. I'm the one who got us in this mess and now I'm going to get us out," Ginny said stubbornly.

"What do you want me to do?" Blaise asked with concern.

"Just sit there and don't make a sound or move. Whatever you do, don't touch me or try to get me out of the connection. I'm trying something that extends my mind out and if interrupted, I could get left in the in between." Ginny warned. Blaise gulped and nodded.

"Ok, this will take a few minutes," Ginny said before getting off the couch to sit directly in front of the fire. She crossed her legs and straightened her back. Ginny place both hands on either side of her head at the temples and took a deep breath.

* * *

Draco stormed down the hallway not really knowing where he was going and not really caring either. It was early in the morning, the students and staff still sleeping due to the fact that the morning sun wasn't even up yet. He found himself wandering near the kitchen and headed over the picture hanging in front of the secret doorway. Tickling the pale green pear and eliciting a giggle, a door appeared in the wall and swung open, allowing Draco entrance to the kitchens of Hogwarts. He strolled in and was immediately surrounded by peppy house elves asking him what he wanted. Draco waved them off after asking for a cup of hot chocolate and sat down at one of the tables.

His mind was still reeling from the event that had just passed and it refused to process it. But what was there to really think about? That stupid wench deceived him. Draco dug his fingernails into the wooden table he was leaning on in anger. Well Gryffindors weren't known for their honesty. Potter was always lying about his whereabouts along with the other two stooges. A house elf came over and set a steaming black mug of cocoa in front of him. Draco didn't even acknowledge him, but just grabbed the mug and took a large swig. The chocolate burned the roof of his mouth and singed his tongue, but he didn't care. It felt good to him, the pain.

'You should have listened to her. Heard what she had to say,' his mind nagged.

"I don't speak with Weasleys," Draco replied harshly.

'She was trying to explain.'

"She betrayed me."

'You don't know the circumstances,' his mind protested.

"She knows everything now," Draco mused ignoring his minds feeble attempts to change his mind.

'She won't say anything, she's loyal to you.'

"She's loyal only to herself."

'You need to speak with her,' his mind told him.

"I need to leave this place," Draco replied.

'You cannot leave, you aren't finished with your schooling,' his mind argued.

"There is nothing here for me. I'm already in the top of my classes and advanced too. I can graduate early. I'll arrange it with Dumbledore," Draco decided.

'You are running away,' his mind called him out.

"You don't know what you are talking about," Draco growled.

'I think I do. I am you,' His mind countered. 'You are running from her.'

"Why would I run from a little Weasel? Snakes eat weasels for lunch," Draco laughed harshly.

'She hurt you.'

"No one can hurt me."

'You began to like her and you were caught unaware. You don't like surprises,' his mind argued.

"Malfoys do not think about Weasleys, Malfoys do not associate with Weaselys and Malfoys as sure as hell do not like Weasleys," Draco replied coldly.

"Where will you go?"

"To them."

Draco's mind quieted at the last thought as if pondering it. Draco gulped the rest of his drink and slammed the mug back down against the table. The house elves that were watching his display in interest scattered at the frustration and anger he radiated.

'It is a crucial time, they will need you.'

"I was born for it."

'What about the other choice?' his mind wondered.

"No, I would only be betraying myself," Draco answered firmly. He motioned for a house elf with a wave of his hand and ordered a piece of parchment paper and a quill. It was quickly produced. Draco slowly scratched out a letter telling his decision and handed it to one of the house elves after sealing it with magic. No one could read it except the one it was intended for. The house elf left quickly towards the Owlery as Draco sat back in his chair. He wouldn't get anymore sleep that night.

* * *

Ginny closed her mind to the outside world, to the distractions in the room. She erected shields in her mind in order to protect herself from intrusion before beginning her search. Never had she tried such an intense jump and it scared her a little. Tapping inside her mind she tried to remember what Dr. Philips had told her about Legilimency at a distance. Making sure she knew everything before she began, Ginny began to weave. It was a delicate magic, one that was woven inside the mind. Bright gold and crimson strands of energy appeared in her mind as she summoned them. Ginny gently weaved them intricately together to create the gateway in which her mind would travel through the dimension.

It was kind of like the Floo Network, or at least it worked similarly like it. Once Ginny had made the gate, she drew up an image of Tom Riddle in her mind. She locked on his energy and gently weaved in the black and purple energy cords that appeared. Linking herself to the image of Tom Riddle, Ginny branched out into the gateway. She was immediately propelled through the blackness as different colored strands appeared all around her, taunting her, trying to confuse her and break her concentration. Ginny refused to be daunted and followed the light path of colors she had woven that was leading her to Tom Riddle's mind, now known as Lord Voldemort.

As sharp pain as cold as ice hit her when she reached another gateway, this one made of only purple and black energy. Ginny kept her gold and crimson strand with her, releasing the purple and black from her weave. She stepped hesitantly through the gateway after checking to make sure her shields were secure. This time she didn't tap into the memory system, not reaching out and drawing the black orbs. This time she dove into the back of his consciousness and watched his present actions.

The Death Eaters were once again drawn together in their tight circle around the dark lord who was standing confidently in front of them, but Ginny knew different. She could feel his weakness. She could feel him straining to keep his body straight and erect to give off the aura of confidence and power.

* * *

_"The time has come. One the night of the Winter Solstice we will finally gain our power," Lord Voldemort's eyes gleamed evilly as he looked at his loyal followers._

_"Where is this weapon of power, milord?" one of the Death Eaters asked._

_"It is located in Greece, but the location cannot be seen by any eye unless revealed," Voldemort explained. _

_"This Winter Solstice will reveal the location?" another asked._

_"Yes, it will reveal the entrance, we just need to be there…" the dark lord trailed off and paused to the confusion of the Death Eaters._

_"Milord?"_

_"Silence," Voldemort hissed. He closed his eyes and opened his mind detecting an intrusion._

_'Ah Miss Weasley, how nice to see you again, alive,' Voldemort said chillingly to Ginny. Ginny froze when she heard his voice floating in her mind. _

_'How did you detect me?' she asked frightened._

_'You are pathetic my dear and weak. Did you really think your flimsy shields were going to keep me from detecting you for long?" his sneered._

_'I see you are still in Hogwarts. The old man still trying to pull his tricks and outwit me I see. He will never win.'_

_'We are going to stop you,' Ginny said bravely._

_'And how are you going to do that? You are the only one with the information and they can't get it if you are dead. It was very stupid of you Ginny Weasley to try and take on the greatest wizard in the world. This will be your last mistake,' The dark lord murmured before using his mind to send waves of pain at Ginny. _

_Back in the room Blaise watched in horror as Ginny's face took on a painful expression and her body began to rock and tremble with pain. Her mouth opened in a silent scream, her green eyes glassy and afraid. Not sure what to do, Blaise could only watch as her friend seemed to crumble in front of her._

_Ginny screamed in agony at the torture Voldemort was placing on her mind. She was getting weaker by the minute and if she didn't do something, she would die. Portioning her mind, she left half of her attention to putting up a fighting front to Voldemort and used the other half to scope out her options. She quickly realized that he hadn't seal the exit in his fervor to finally kill her. Ginny gathered up as much energy as she could muster before reconnecting with her mind and firmly grabbing onto her crimson and gold energy. She lashed out with it against Voldemort's before quickly releasing her mind from his, fleeing out the purple and black gate heading towards her own mind. _

_She could still hear his roar of anger as she fled and saw a burning string of black and purple energy chasing after her. Arriving back into her own mind she quickly slammed the doorway shut and sealed it, cutting off the in between dimension and any way for Voldemort to bury himself in. He couldn't get into her mind against her strong shields unless he caught her unaware and she would always be looking for him now._

_

* * *

_

"Ginny are you okay?" Blaise asked frantically when the spasms stopped and the haunted, empty look left her friend. Ginny looked up at Blaise drained and completely exhausted.

"I need to speak with Dumbledore now," Ginny said weakly. Blaise helped her up and Ginny led her to the room to get the invisibility cloak. They both adorned it before heading off in the direction of his office. They knocked loudly until a haggard and tired looking Dumbledore appeared in sleeping robes, his glasses perched sloppily on his face.

"Miss Blaise and…Miss Weasley, what a surprise. Come in, come in,"

Dumbledore said looking at Ginny. Once inside Ginny collapsed into a chair, no longer having the energy to stay up on her own.

"Would someone care to explain why you two are in my office early in the morning and you Miss Weasley look like, uh, you?" Dumbledore asked looking from one to the other.

Blaise looked over at Ginny who nodded. Blaise proceeded to tell Dumbledore everything that had happened up to the part where Ginny connected with Lord Voldemort. Ginny then began to talk, explaining about the location of the Masamune and that no one could get it before the Winter Solstice. Dumbledore's expression became grave when Ginny told him what she had done.

"That was a very dangerous and foolish thing you did Ginny, but I admire your bravery and thank you for your efforts. The information is indeed valuable and we might be able to finally stop him with it," Dumbledore scolded her. Ginny hung her head in agreement.

"What are we to do now?" Blaise asked.

"Continue your studies and stuff. There is nothing left for you to do. Ginny, do not try to connect with Voldemort again. Also, if you want you can return to Hogwarts as yourself now since there is no reason to keep hiding you if Voldemort knows where you are," Dumbledore decided. Ginny and Blaise both nodded.

"Go back to your rooms now and I will announce your return and what happened at breakfast this morning if you don't mind," Dumbledore continued. Ginny shook her head indicating that she didn't mind before following Blaise out of the office and back to the Slytherin Common room.

* * *

Ginny waited patiently outside the Great Hall the next morning as all the students ate, Blaise by her side. She was hesitant to step back into everyone's lives after being dead for almost half the school year. She heard the students clapping as Dumbledore began giving various announcements and craned her neck to hear better.

"I have two announcements. The first one I'm sure will excite you. Since it is almost Christmas time, the staff and I have decided to host a Christmas ball in order to celebrate the holidays. Something new to spice up the year and all," Dumbledore said as the hall broke out in excited chatter. Dumbledore waved his hand and quieted them before continuing.

"Students of Hogwarts, I have a confession to make and I want you to all listen to my explanation carefully before talking. In the beginning of the year the announcement was made that Ginny Weasley had died, but in actuality, she is still alive," Dumbledore said as an immediate hush fell over the crowd at his words.

"Ginny's life was in danger. She was being hunted by Voldemort himself for reasons I cannot reveal to you all. It was my idea to get her identity changed so she could still attend Hogwarts and get her schooling. This was in no way intended to harm anyone or deceive anyone; it was just necessary actions to protect Miss Weasley. I hope that you all will welcome her back whole heartedly," Dumbledore said pointing to the entrance.

"That's your cue," Blaise hissed in Ginny's ear, giving her a shove from behind. Ginny stumbled forward with Blaise next to her and entered the Great Hall with uncertainty. An eruption of applause reached her ears as the Gryffindors rose to their feet and cheered wildly, the other houses joining in except for Slytherin. Dumbledore hadn't told them that she was Angelina. Ginny walked over to the Gryffindor table and stopped by Harry, Hermoine and Ron, her usual seat. Giving Blaise a long hug, Ginny sat down at the table surrounded by her old friends as Blaise walked toward the Slytherin table.

"Welcome back Ginny!" Hermoine said brightly giving her friend a quick hug. Ron and Harry echoed their sentiments. None of them were shocked to see Ginny alive, just a little about her being back at Hogwarts.

"So how was the witness protection program?" Ron questioned stuffing some eggs into his mouth.

"I actually wasn't there," Ginny revealed.

"What? Where were you?" Hermoine asked in surprise.

"I was here, in Hogwarts," Ginny said.

"How? Oh, you were using my cloak and going to all your classes invisible. Clever," Harry said with a grin.

"Actually no. I was given a new identity and Dumbledore decided to put me back in Hogwarts," Ginny explained.

"Then where were you?" Ron asked still confused.

"I was in Slytherin," Ginny admitted to all their shock.

"Slytherin?" Hermoine whispered.

"Angelina," Harry said, the realization dawning on him. He caught Ginny's eyes and ducked his head in shame, remembering how he had acted towards her.

"It's ok Harry, I forgive you now. You didn't know it was me," Ginny said softly.

Harry nodded his head, but refused to look at her in his embarrassment. Ginny sighed and looked longingly over at the Slytherin table. They were sitting quietly, some scowling and others looking amused. Blaise chatted with the ones who weren't mad at Ginny's deceit will the others just pushed around their food. Ginny watched Draco from afar, the blond sitting stonily in his seat refusing to acknowledge anyone as he ate. He looked up when he felt her eyes on him. Turning his gaze toward her, Draco glared at her through steely eyes. Ginny swallowed back the lump that was beginning to form in her throat at the anger presented in his face. She looked down, no longer able to stand the heat of his glare. She didn't know it would hurt so bad, losing Draco Malfoy.

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**Finally, the next chapter! Hope you all like it and please review! **

**.:Angelgrl185:.**


	10. Alone in Death and Life

Friends Close, Enemies Closer

**.:Angelgrl185:.**

_((I don't own the Harry Potter Series of any of its components))_

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Chapter Ten: Alone in Death and Life

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The mindless chatter of students had lowered to a dull roar in the Great Hall as many leaked out into the hallways to head to their morning classes. Ginny pushed back her plate of untouched food a sick feeling in her stomach. She could still feel the hard gazes of the Slytherin table drilling holes into her body. Hermoine threw her a sympathetic glance when she noticed the discomfort of her friend and immediately voted that the four leave the table and head to class. Ginny grabbed her bag and followed the trio out of the Great Hall, falling into the same boring routine as the previous years.

Ron and Hermoine began talking incessantly to each other causing Ginny to shake her head. They were having another stupid spat. If they would only get it into their thick heads that they liked each other, no one would have to suffer through their tireless rants. She continued to walk absentmindedly down the hallway not noticing that she was trailing behind until a hand grabbed her arm and pulled her to the side. Gasping in surprise, Ginny turned to find Harry standing nervously next to her, his hand still on her arm. Noticing the contact, Harry quickly dropped his arm and stuff both of his hands into his robes.

"Is there something you want Harry?" Ginny asked in a brisk tone. Harry winced at the coldness in her voice.

"Come on Ginny, don't be like this. I apologized and you forgave me," Harry pleaded with her.

"Yes that happened, but it still doesn't change the fact that you said what you did," Ginny reminded him.

"I didn't know it was you, Ginny," Harry argued.

"That doesn't matter, Harry! You shouldn't be that cruel to anyone! I can't believe you could say such a thing, Harry Potter. You should be ashamed," Ginny scolded him before turning away. Harry stared at her back for a moment before replying. He lifted a hand out of his black robes and placed it on her shoulders, turning her around.

"Ginny, I truly am sorry. It was a horrid thing I did and to think I said it to you makes me feel even worse. I don't know what came over me. It's just that Malfoy makes me so made sometimes, the things he says to us," he explained softly sincerity shining in his light green eyes.

Ginny sighed, "Is there something you want Harry?"

"I uh, well, I missed you, Ginny," he blurted out. Ginny's eyes snapped to his in shock.

"You what?" she asked incredulously.

"I missed you," Harry said confidently. He gathered one of her small hands in his and rubbed the top in gentle circles.

"The day you left to go with Professor Dumbledore, back in the burrow, well, that's when I realized how much you meant to me, Ginny. I was so afraid for you when you fell off the cliff and when he finally took you away, I didn't want you to go." Harry admitted to Ginny's disbelief.

"I know I have been caught up these past years with Ron, Hermoine and all the things that are happening with Voldemort, but I realized what I have been missing not paying enough attention to you." He said stepping closer.

"You are so beautiful Ginny." Harry whispered bringing a hand up to the side of her face. Ginny was frozen to the floor as her mind went wild as it processed Harry's confession.

"I was wondering if you would go with me to the Christmas Ball." Harry asked finally as he looked intently into her eyes. Ginny looked back at him in wonderment as she took in his words. Closing her eyes Ginny shook her head slightly before looking back at him.

"I can't Harry." She said regret filling her eyes.

"What?" he asked in disbelief, "Why not?"

"You've had your chance Harry. You have had four years and you blew it. I'm not longer the little girl that was infatuated with you my first year, Harry. In case you didn't notice, I've grown up. Going to the ball together would not be a good idea." Ginny finished. Harry opened his mouth to protest, but was interrupted by a sharp voice.

"Well isn't this scene cozy," a voice drawled. Ginny looked away from Harry finally noticing their close proximity to glance at the person who spoke. Draco Malfoy was standing there with a sneer on his face, Blaise and Tristan behind him.

"It seems to me as if the weasel has run back to the trash where she belongs," Draco said with a cold chuckle. Blaise and Tristan looked around uncomfortably, but made no move to stop Draco.

"This isn't any of your business, Malfoy," Harry growled pushing Ginny behind him protectively. Ginny on the other hand couldn't help but roll her eyes at Harry's bravado act.

"It's funny to me, Potter, that you can so coldly insult her when she looks ugly, but try to hit on her when she beautiful. Kinda cold hearted don't you think?" Draco asked.

"Draco, stop it," Blaise hissed in his ear pulling on his robes. Draco ignored her, but turned his steely gaze onto Harry.

'Did he just say that I was beautiful?' Ginny whispered in her mind as her heart flip flopped.

'God what am I doing? He's sitting here insulting me and I'm getting all giddy,' Ginny scolded herself.

Stepping around Harry, Ginny stood defiantly in front of Draco forcing a cold look on her face.

"Look, _Malfoy_," Ginny hissed emphasizing his last name, "you don't want to see me and I don't want to see you. Why don't you get your slimy face out of mine before I throw up at the sight of it."

"Oh ho, little Weasley thinks she can take on the King of Slytherin," Draco sneered through narrowed eyes. Harry, Blaise and Tristan stood transfixed at the display the two students were putting on. It was as if they were in their own little world trying to get the upper hand on the other, oblivious to anyone else.

"King of Slytherin? Don't make me laugh, Malfoy. The only throne you'll ever see is the moldy toilet sitting in your bathroom," Ginny laughed mockingly.

"Don't mock me weasel," Draco threatened stepping closer to Ginny.

"Or you'll what? Get some fellow death eaters to avenge your honor?" Ginny spat out angrily not really caring what she was saying anymore. Draco hissed his silver eyes darkening to a fierce gray at her words.

"Don't speak of things you don't know about, Weasley," Draco threatened in a low voice. Ginny sniffed at him before continuing, her anger building with every word. So long had she held back her emotions that she expressed them the only way she could, through her anger.

"Or maybe you'll go running to daddy so he can solve everything by dumping dark magic artifacts in my possession in order to save his precious Voldemort. Maybe this time it'll work and I'll be dead. How would you like that?" Ginny screamed, her now enraged voice filling the hallway.

"Ginny, stop it," Harry said quickly placing a hand on her arm. Ginny whipped around, brushing his hand off.

"Don't you touch me, Harry Potter! You don't know what it was like! You don't know what he did to me!" She screamed. Harry stumbled back at the force in her words.

"Ginny, it's ok," Blaise's soothing voice broke through her anger. Ginny looked up at her friend's sympathetic face and felt her anger slowly melt away. A flicker of emotions crossed her face as she processed the feelings she had just ranted. Turning her gaze back to Malfoy she squared her shoulders before addressing him one last time.

"I don't have to explain myself to you. If Harry and I want to be together than we will. We are going to the Ball together and I don't give a crap what you think," Ginny said evenly. Draco glared at her before stomping past her. Blaise and Tristan followed giving Ginny an encouraging glance as they brushed past.

"Ginny," Harry's voice cut through her thoughts.

"Yeah, Harry?" Ginny asked slowly.

"You do know we aren't going to the Ball together right?" Harry asked her.

"But Harry, you asked me to go," Ginny replied.

"Yeah, and you said 'No' and I'm not going to be your little game to make Malfoy mad. That's the only reason you said we were going together. You knew it would piss him off," Harry argued.

"I refuse to be a part of your stupid Slytherin games, Ginny," Harry added sharply before storming off in the opposite direction. Ginny stared after him in shock and remorse. It seemed that she was destined to be alone.

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Draco stormed down the hallway angrily, his black robes billowing about him. Students sensed his mood and backed warily away from the enraged Slytherin. He refused to speak to anyone as he headed back toward the common room, Blaise and Tristan in tow. When he reached the inside, he sprawled himself against the leather couch by the fireplace and crossed his arms. While Tristan headed upstairs to the dorms, Blaise followed Draco and came to rest in front of him, her hands resting on her hips.

"Draco Malfoy, that was uncalled for!" she hissed angrily her eyes flashing.

"Get off it, Blaise. Leave me alone," Draco commanded.

"No, I will not 'get off it,' Draco," Blaise said emphasizing his words.

"I don't know what your problem is, but Ginny has done nothing but be kind to you. She was your friend, Draco and now you are treating her like crap," Blaise pointed out.

"Angelina was my friend. Ginny Weasley will never be my friend," Draco replied hotly.

"That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard you say," Blaise growled. "Angelina and Ginny are the same person."

"Ginny Weasley is deceitful and a liar. I want nothing to do with her," Draco said.

"Ginny was forced to do what she did. She had no choice. Voldemort was hunting her, she would have died!" Blaise argued.

"She should have thought about that before she aided the Dark Lord," Draco countered.

"Draco Malfoy, I cannot believe what a stupid git you are!" Blaise hissed. "Your so called father is the reason Ginny got into that mess in the first place."

"What are you talking about, Blaise?" Draco asked through narrowed eyes.

"Where you not listening to anything she said back there?" Blaise asked exasperated.

"She is not worthy of my attention," Draco replied.

"Your father gave her some stupid diary that Tom Riddle once owned back in Hogwarts and the Dark Lord found a way to manipulate Ginny through that journal," Blaise explained. Silence ensued her comment.

"Draco, look. I have known you for years and I think I can honestly say I can read you inside and out," Blaise began. Draco snorted and turned his head away, but made no response.

"You are mad at yourself, I can tell. You are mad that you let yourself fall for a girl who was not who she was supposed to be. Angry that you were so easily deceived and it angers you that you were so blind by your developing feelings, feelings for someone you aren't even remotely physically attracted to, to notice it was happening." Blaise said softly as she came and sat down next to him on the couch.

"Draco, please. Just talk to her. Let her explain to you so you can understand what she has been through. It's more than you could possibly know," Blaise pleaded with him. Draco finally turned his head and met her eyes.

"No," he said firmly.

"Ginny Weasley maybe be alive again to everyone else, but she is still dead to me," he ended coldly before getting up and exiting the room leaving Blaise sitting alone on the couch left with a bitter silence.

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A few days later found Ginny in the potions dungeon. She was standing next to one of the desk surrounded by different ingredients. Ginny commanded her hand to stop shaking and to be perfectly still. It wasn't that she was scared, just a little nervous. She was working on a very important potion for the medical wing and if done wrong, could be a very explosive potion. She carefully picked up the glass vial full of bright green liquid with her silver tongs and prayed that her hands wouldn't jerk as she poured it rhythmically into the black lead cauldron. Pulling out a metal spoon, she stirred the concoction five times in a clockwise motion before dropping three hippogriff feathers into the mixture. The potion hissed and fizzled as it consumed the newly added ingredient.

Ginny sighed in relief when the potion turned a dark green and wiped her brow with the back of her dragon leather gloves. Her brow had gathered small beads of perspiration while she worked. She picked up her wand, she expertly performed a cooling spell and watched as the steam rising from the cauldron evaporated. Ginny gingerly touched the cauldron, testing to see if it was still hot and picked it up when she found it to be relatively cool. Pouring the new potion into a large glass bottle, she sealed in and put it in her bag to take to Madame Pomphrey. Quickly cleaning up the mess she had made, Ginny looked around the classroom one more time to make sure everything was in place so Snape wouldn't get mad at her before shutting off the lights and exiting the room.

Draco yawned and tried to stifle it with his hand, but failed miserably as it echoed through the room causing Professor McGonagall to glare at the Slytherin who at the moment had his eyes closed and his mouth wide open. Draco shook his head, trying to throw off the sleepiness that was threatening to take over him and he looked back down at his parchment paper. It was blank. He had been sitting in detention for at least an hour now trying to focus his attention on writing the stupid essay so he could get out of there, but his mind just wasn't cooperating. It was Potter's fault, that stupid git with his idiot weasel friend and ugly mud blood girlfriend. Sure Draco had been a little moody as of late for no reason that he could comprehend. Maybe he had begun to lash out against the students a little more than he used too. And no it didn't have anything to do with that blasted weasel. If the idiotic trio hadn't been walking down the hallway when he was he wouldn't have picked on them. They should just stay away from wherever he was that way he wouldn't get in trouble for putting them in their place.

Draco sneered as he remembered Granger's cry of indignation and Weasley's look of rage. It was quite comical really how the two boys tried to protect Granger's honor when in reality, she could probably kick both of their butts with all the studying she did. She's nothing but a nerdy bookworm, no feminine charm at all. Who'd want a girl like that? Not him, that's for sure. He wanted a real woman, one who knows what she wants and is sexy beyond belief. A flash of red filled his mind, but Draco quickly put it out of his head. Draco sighed again when he looked back down at his parchment paper, it was going to be a long afternoon and he was going to miss dinner.

Ginny hummed happily to herself as she walked down the hallway. She'd finished her potion a lot quicker then she had originally calculated and now she could still catch dinner at the great hall. Ginny's amber curls bounced slightly as she walked, her green eyes looking tired, but happy. She quickened her pace in order to get to the Great Hall faster since her stomach was continuously growling in protest to its starvation. She rounded a stone corner and was immediately halted by the sharp impact of another object. A soft gasp slipped from Ginny's lips as the hard body crashed against her, the force knocking them both over and back onto the hard floor.

Draco pushed back his chair and grabbed the parchment paper off his desk before strolling towards the front of the classroom. Finally handing in his finished detention essay to McGonagall with a smug look, she dismissed him with a curt nod. Casting a quick time spell, Draco discovered that he had just enough time to satiate his grumbling stomach at the great hall. As he rounded the corner a soft, warm body crashed into him, knocking him slightly off balance. Draco automatically wrapped his arms around the person in order to steady himself, pulling them closer, but they fell over backwards anyways. The delicate scent of strawberries infiltrated his nostrils as silky auburn curls brushed up against his face. Draco inhaled the sweet scent of the woman he was now holding, enjoying the feel of her soft curves against him. His pleasure was short lived as she pulled herself slightly out of his grasp. Draco's eyes traveled a white creamy neck to a smooth, freckle dusted face where bright green eyes met gray steel.

Draco's eyes widened in shock and disgust as he realized that he was currently embracing the weasel. She was cradled to his chest now, her face buried in his firm body as she trembled slightly. Draco smirked briefly. He did have that effect on people. His arm was snaked under her, his hand supporting her silky smooth auburn locks. Draco ignored the way his body reacted to hers from being in such an intimate position, or at least, tried too anyways.

Draco roughly pulled his arm out from under her, causing her body to hit the ground and her lips to release a whimper of pain. He pushed himself off the ground and turning away from Ginny, brushed the dust off his black robes. Ginny on the other hand glared at Draco's since the jerk didn't have the decency to help her up. That's when she noticed a cold presence appearing around her. Ginny looked down at her bag to find the potion she had worked so hard on for countless hours shattered by the fall. The dark green liquid was creeping about through all the cracks of the stone floor and she could feel it seeping through her robes. Groaning, Ginny quickly gathered up the broken glass and shoved it in her bag before standing up. Her green eyes blazing with anger, Ginny pulled herself to her full height and composed herself into a face of indifference and coldness. She lifted her head up proudly, her hair caressing her face, prepared to face him. One look into Draco's cool silvery eyes, however, broke her.

Draco stared at her slightly mesmerized by the silvery flecks shining in her bright green eyes framed with feathery black lashes. For a moment neither spoke as if in a trance. Ginny finally opened her mouth then, as if to say something to him, but Draco regained his composure and quickly drew a sneer to his face.

"Didn't know you were such a klutz weasel. Maybe you should watch where you are going next time. That way you won't defile me by coming in contact with me," he sneered unpleasantly. Ginny snapped her mouth shut, the blaze of fire returning to her eyes. She tried to think of something to say, but nothing came to her mind.

"What's wrong Weasley? No snappy comeback this time? Finally realized when you have been defeated?" Draco mocked raising an eyebrow. Ginny looked a little less confidant now as she looked at him, not sure what to say.

"How pathetic. Get out of my sight weasel. You are contaminating me with your presence," Draco finished in a dismissive tone.

All words had fled Ginny's mind. For the life of her she couldn't think of one thing to say to him, one thing to defend herself. Her mind had failed her and drawn a blank. The fire flicked and seeped out of her eyes, the color dulling to a pale green. She bowed her head as the first prick of tears collected in the corner of her eyes and threatened to spill over. Gritting her teeth Ginny clenched her fist as she prepared to walk away. She might not have been able to stand up to him, but she refused to let him see her cry.

Draco did her a favor however by casting her one last cold look before brushing past her and heading down the hallway. As soon as he was gone, Ginny leaned back against the cold stone of the hallway and slid down the wall to rest at the bottom. Burying her head in her arms, Ginny let the tears cascade down her face in silvery rivers as silent sobs wracked her body. She felt so weak right then. The soft thudding of footsteps caught her attention and Ginny quickly wiped her eyes. Tristan's spiky blond head appeared followed by his lithe frame as he walked down the hallway. Surprise filled his blue eyes when he noticed Ginny huddled against the wall.

"Hey Ginny," Tristan greeted her warmly to her surprise. Ginny gave him a weak smile and hello in return.

"What are you doing on the floor?" he asked curiously.

"I uh, tripped and spilled the potion I was carrying and was cleaning it up. I'm just resting now," Ginny half lied.

"Okay," Tristan said and then proceeded to settle his long frame next to her on the floor once again surprising her.

"Tristan, what are you doing?" Ginny asked.

"Just sitting down for a chat with one of my friends," he replied smiling warmly at her. Ginny returned his smile, this time happier.

"So Ginny, I was wondering. Well, earlier I heard that Potter was taking some Ravenclaw to the dance. I thought he was taking you?" Tristan said looking at her expectantly. Ginny sighed and leaned back against the stone.

"Harry and I aren't going to the ball, we never were," Ginny admitted.

"But I heard you guys in the hallway. I heard you tell Draco," Tristan pointed out.

"Yeah, I kinda only said that cause I knew it would make him mad," Ginny admitted sheepishly. Tristan raised his eyebrows before breaking out into laughter causing Ginny to join in.

"So that means you're free?" he asked.

"Yup," Ginny affirmed. Tristan's blue eyes lit up as he grinned.

"Great. Well then Ginny, would you do me the honor of going with me to the ball?" Tristan asked with relish. "As friends of course," he added.

"Sure Tristan. That would be fun." Ginny agreed.

"Awesome. Well I gotta get going. Draco was complaining earlier about some emergency quidditch meeting," Tristan said rolling his eyes. Ginny giggled and ignored the sorrow that hit her at the mention of Draco.

"Oh, hey Ginny?" Tristan called over his shoulder as he stood up and walked away.

"Yeah?" she answered.

"Are you still playing quidditch? Like, for Gryffindor or something?" he asked. Ginny shook her head.

"That sucks. I was looking forward to good competition. I'm gonna miss seeing you in action. You are an amazing player." Tristan complimented her causing her to turn red with his praise.

"Thanks. Now scat!" Ginny said with a laugh as she waved him away. Tristan gave her one last grin before continuing merrily on his way. Ginny smiled to herself. She still had friends. Maybe things were looking up after all.

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**Finally the next chapter! I know I made you guys wait forever, but I was so not in the mood to write! Hope you enjoyed it though!**

**.:Angelgrl185:. **


	11. Secrets, Costumes and Rejection

Friends Close, Enemies Closer

**.:Angelgrl185:.**

_((I don't own the Harry Potter Series of any of its components))_

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Chapter Eleven: Secrets, Costumes and Rejection

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Gray hazy smoke drifted through the black night sky as three figures stood outside blanketed from prying eyes. The moon reflected off the smoke-like fog casting a strange illumination upon the three. The leader, known from his proud stance and dominant presence, was in the front talking quietly to the other two. Hisses and whispers filled the silence of the night as it drew to a close and morning began to dawn.

"The time is drawing neigh, my Lord," a deep voice spoke.

"Three days left until the prophecy is fulfilled," a replying hiss said.

"What is your will, milord?" a third melodious voice chimed in.

"Tonight," the voice hissed, "Tonight you will get her."

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Ginny walked languidly outside Hogwarts castle enjoying the cool breeze teasing her skin. For being the middle of winter it was relatively warm outside. The wind whipped the green grass as she walked through it towards the glistening lake. A black haired head appeared in her vision as she neared the lake causing Ginny to break out into a grin.

"Blaise!" she called loudly alerting the other girl's attention. Blaise flashed Ginny an answering grin of her own as Ginny joined her by the lakeside.

"How's it going, Gin?" she asked as Ginny plopped down dramatically next to her.

"All right I guess," Ginny replied softly as she stared out into the water.

"Things any better between you and the dimwit?" Blaise asked.

"Not in the least," Ginny replied grimly and then proceeded to recant the details of her last encounter with Draco.

"Ugh, what a complete idiot!" Blaise moaned placing her head into her hands.

"I've told him that much already," she added. Ginny looked up sharply at her

comment.

"Blaise, what did you say to him?" Ginny asked warningly. Blaise shrugged nonchalantly as she fought to keep a grin from adorning her face.

"Blaise!" Ginny groaned falling back against the grass.

"Really, Ginny, it wasn't much," Blaise assured her.

"What did you say?" Ginny demanded.

"Nothing really. Just that he was being a bloody git and that he should listen to what you were saying to him and stuff," Blaise replied. Ginny lifted her head and stared at her friend.

"There is something you aren't telling me, Blaise," Ginny said accusingly. Blaise mumbled something that Ginny couldn't quite catch.

"What was that?" Ginny asked giving her raven-haired friend a look.

"I said that I might have mentioned what happened your first year and how it was all his dad's fault." Blaise admitted sheepishly.

"BLAISE!" Ginny screeched as she immediately sat up. Blaise cowered, raising her arms to her head in order to fend any blows that Ginny might send her way.

"I also might have said that he was harboring feelings for you and that he shouldn't be scared of them," Blaise added ducking even further when Ginny began to screech again and hit Blaise repeatedly.

"Malfoy does not harbor any "repressed" feelings for me," Ginny said seething.

"Oh, so we are back to Malfoy now, huh?" Blaise observed with a smirk.

"Shove it, Blaise," Ginny replied.

"I'm not doing anything except being observant," Blaise defended herself.

"That and telling Malfoy things you shouldn't be," Ginny added.

"Ok, maybe that is something I shouldn't have done, but it will turn out ok in the end!" Blaise admonished.

"Whatever, let's talk about something else," Ginny said dismissing the topic.

"Ok, let's talk about the ball then," Blaise suggested a mischievous look appearing in her deep blue eyes.

"Ugh! Blaise!" Ginny groaned rolling her bright green eyes.

"So, Ginny. Who are you going with?" Blaise asked scooting closer to her friend.

"Not like I'm going to tell you. The whole school will end up knowing by dinner," Ginny scoffed.

"Aw, come on, Ginny! I won't tell anyone! Promise!" Blaise pleaded. Ginny couldn't keep the grin off her face.

"Ok, fine. I'm going with Tristan," Ginny admitted. Blaise's eyes grew wide.

"Tristan? Really? Wow, Ginny, he's so cute!" Blaise squealed.

"I know!" Ginny agreed with a squeal of her own.

"Wait a minute. What about Draco?" Blaise asked with a frown.

"What about him?" Ginny asked in annoyance.

"Well you two definitely need to make sure he doesn't know about this," Blaise advised.

"What not? I don't care what that overstuff pompous idiot thinks," Ginny stated.

"He's not going to be too happy when he hears one of his Slytherins _and_ quidditch teammates is going to the ball with Ginny Weasley," Blaise informed her.

"It doesn't matter if he's happy or not. I'm going with Tristan and that's that," Ginny sniffed.

"I'm just saying you two should keep it on the down low. It would be less trouble for the both of you," Blaise warned.

"All right, fine. We'll make sure Malfoy doesn't find out," Ginny agreed.

"Good. I'll tell Tristan the next time I see him," Blaise decided.

"Ok, enough about me. Who are you going with?" Ginny asked her curiously.

"Uh, well, I…" Blaise trailed off and began studying a flower that was blooming beside her.

"BLAISE!" Ginny screeched once again.

"Dean Thomas," was the rushed reply. Silence.

"Dean Thomas?" Ginny repeated in shock.

"Um, yes," Blaise affirmed.

"What? How the heck did that happen?" Ginny asked bewildered.

"Erm, well, Dean and I were both in the library and he was complaining all loud that he didn't have a date to the ball. Seamus told to just ask someone already so Dean looked up and saw me, came over and asked me to go with him," Blaise explained.

"And you agreed? That's so unromantic, Blaise!" Ginny chided.

"I'm not looking for romantic, Ginny. I just wanted a fun date and we all know how much fun Dean is. Even if he is a Gryffindor," Blaise added.

"Hey, I resent that," Ginny said pretending to be offended. Blaise rolled her eyes and picked at the grass.

"What are you going to wear?" Blaise questioned Ginny.

"Oh I don't know. I figured that I'd come up with something later tonight," Ginny said.

"Ginny, the ball is tonight," Blaise pointed out.

"I know," Ginny replied.

"I heard it was a masquerade," Blaise continued.

"Really? That should be fun!" Ginny said cheerfully.

"Hey, do you want to get together later and figure out our costumes and get ready and stuff?" Blaise asked.

"Definitely. We better do it in the Gryffindor tower though," Ginny said thoughtfully.

"Yeah, good thinking," Blaise agreed.

"Great. We'll I'm gonna get going, I'll see you later tonight," Ginny said before jumping up and heading back towards the castle.

* * *

"Hey Hermoine! Wait up!" Ron Weasley bellowed as he ran down the hallway towards the brunette. Hermoine stopped and stamped her foot impatiently on the stone floor as she waited for Ron to catch up.

"Ah, thanks," Ron panted as he walked alongside her.

"No problem," Hermoine said as she quickened her pace.

"Why are you walking so fast?" Ron questioned as he tried to keep up with her.

"The library is releasing its new books today and I want to be first in line to check them out," Hermoine explained as she hurried along.

"Are you serious?" Ron asked incredulously. Hermoine slowed her pace momentarily to shoot Ron a withering look.

"Yes I am, Ron," she snapped.

"Hey, hey. Sorry," Ron said holding up his hands as if to ward off an attack.

"Is there something you wanted, Ron?" Hermoine asked irritably.

"Well I did want to ask you to that stupid ball, but you're being so snappy I don't think I will," Ron said his temper starting to rise at Hermoine's own display of temper.

"What?" Hermoine said pausing mid stride causing Ron to bump into her.

"I said that I wanted to ask you to the ball," Ron shouted.

"Well, then ask me already," Hermoine said with a pointed look.

"Oh, ok," Ron said calming down.

"Hermoine?" he said.

"Yes?"

"Would you like to go to the ball with me?" Ron asked with a grin.

"No," Hermoine replied before continuing her original route.

"What?" was the shocked cry that followed her.

"I said 'No," she repeated over her shoulder.

"Yeah I heard that," Ron said through gritted teeth, "Now I would like to know why you said that,"

"You must be pretty daft if you think I'm going to accept your proposal when it was shouted at me," Hermoine said with a sniff.

"Good God, Hermoine. It's not I'm asking you to marry me or anything," Ron said rolling his blues eyes. Hermoine's eyebrows up at his comment and she huffed before turning back and storming off. Ron stared after her retreating back in bewilderment as Harry came up behind him shaking his head.

"Way to go, Ron," Harry said clapping his best friend on the back.

"Harry, what just happened here?" Ron asked.

"I don't know. Being a girl I guess," Harry shrugged.

"Well what did I do wrong?" he questioned.

"Everything, Ron. Everything," Harry answered before leaving Ron standing in the middle of the hallway replaying the events that had just occurred.

* * *

Draco sat stiffly in front of the fire in the Slytherin common room as he sulked. The room seemed to reflect his brooding mood as the lights were out and the only source coming from the soft glow of the fire. Pansy came bounding down the stairs the stairs groaning in protest as she descended. She looked up in surprise when she noticed Draco sitting sullenly on the coach and bounded over to him.

"Hey, Draco," Pansy said with a flirtatious smile. Draco grunted in reply.

"So, who are you going to the ball with tonight?" she asked batting her eyelashes at him. Draco looked her up and down before replying.

"Not you," he sneered before turning back towards the fire. Pansy's eyes widened as his answer and she whimpered before rushing out of the common room. Draco rolled his silver eyes as she departed.

"Draco, man. This is really gloomy even for you," Tristan's voice loomed into the common followed by his tall frame and spiky hair.

"I like is this way," Draco replied evenly.

"That's cool," Tristan replied with a shrug.

"You going to that thing tonight?" Draco asked him suddenly.

"Uh, yeah," Tristan replied becoming a little nervous.

"With who?" Draco asked curiously.

"Some Gryffindor. Pretty face, but not anything special," Tristan said hastily before asking who Draco was going with to get off the subject of his date.

"I don't want a date. I'm going solo. With a date you have to spend the whole evening with her. Solo I can get a bunch of girls. More fun that way," Draco drawled lazily.

"Good idea, man," Tristan agreed before retreating out of the room as fast as he could to avoid anymore prodding. Draco fixed his gaze to the fire the burning embers reflecting in his hazy gray eyes.

"I can get a bunch of girls," Draco repeated himself as if trying to assure himself of something.

"I don't need to tie myself down to one," he added staring hard into the flames. It reminded him of something, but he couldn't place a finger on it. A flash of fire tinted auburn hair filled his mind causing him to snarl in annoyance before dousing the fire with his wand. He didn't want to think of _her_. She was nothing to him. Or so he kept telling himself.

* * *

Hermoine sighed and leaned her head into her hand as she flipped through the pages in the book in front of her. She had been in the library for a while now and was getting relatively bored. There was one more book that she was going to look through before deciding which ones she wanted to check out. Pushing aside the current one, Hermoine grabbed a maroon leather bound book and pulled it in front of her. Grasping the sides, she opened the book and gasped as what she saw inside.

A bright crimson rose lay perfectly in tact in between the pages of the new book. Hermoine placed a hand over her mouth as she picked up the rose with the other one. Its long green stem was devoid of any prickly thorns and there was a trace of dew droplets on the soft petals giving it a mystical look. Hermoine looked up and glanced around the room, but no one was paying any attention to her. Frowning, she sat in the chair puzzled as to how a beautiful red rose got into one of the library's new books. A piece of parchment paper caught her eye and she took her hand off of her mouth to read it.

_My Dearest Hermoine,_

_Meet me in the Gryffindor common room as soon as you receive this._

There was no signature. Hermoine felt her heart begin to flutter and a million questions began to run through her mind. Picking up her wand and bag, Hermoine, for the first time in her life, left the library without any books. She ran all the way to the Gryffindor tower and gasped out the password to the Fat Lady. Composing herself before she went in, Hermoine stepped hesitantly into the Gryffindor common room. Her soft brown eyes grew wide at the sight that met her.

Beautiful white candles filled the room in a sea of light, bathing her in its iridescent glow. A rustle of cloth alerted her attention to the corner that was masked in shadow and the faint outline of a figure looming in it. Hermoine tilted her head and squinted in order to get a better view as the figure stepped into the light. The candlelight reflected off of natural fiery red highlights as Ron stepped into her view. He strolled over to Hermoine with a confidence not usually known to him and bent down on one knee when he reached her. Grabbing her small, creamy hands into his own large ones, Ron stared up at Hermoine with bright blues eyes as she gazed back with dumbfounded chocolate ones.

"Hermoine."

"Ye-ye-yes, Ron?" Hermoine stuttered unable to take her eyes off of him.

"It would honor me and give me great pleasure if you would consent to be my date to the ball tonight," Ron said in a smooth voice before bringing her hands up and pressing a light kiss to the back of them.

"Ron?" Hermoine asked in a small voice.

"Hmm?" he answered as he continued to press light kisses trailing up her right arm. Hermoine breathed in deeply before answering as Ron stood up and turned his assault onto her neck.

"I would love to, uh, go to the ball with you, Ron," Hermoine answered a little more confidently causing a grin to spread across Ron's face. Without warning, he captured her lips with his own in a sweet kiss. When they drew apart, Hermoine grinned slyly.

"For once in your life, Ronald Weasley, you did something right."

* * *

Later that evening, Hermoine joined Ginny and Blaise in the common room of the Gryffindor tower in order to get ready for the masquerade winter ball that was being held that night. Hermoine was still flustered about what Ron had done that she couldn't keep from bursting out into random giggles. Blaise and Ginny eyed each other at Hermoine's strange behavior before pouncing on her and making her spill. A half an hour later, Blaise was rolling on the floor laughing; Hermoine was pink in the face and Ginny looked like she was about to be sick.

"I can't believe Ron did that. That's so unlike him," Ginny said with a grossed out look on her face.

"I think it's cute," Blaise countered with a wink at Hermoine who smiled happily.

"Eh, enough talk about my darling, yet very clueless, brother," Ginny decided.

"Agreed," Blaise said with a nod, "So, what are you guys wearing tonight?"

"I'm going as a gypsy," Hermoine spoke up only to receive to wide eyed glances.

"What?" Ginny gaffed.

"Hermoine, you are going as a gypsy?" Blaise repeated dumbfounded.

"Yes, I am," Hermoine huffed.

"You do know that gypsies hardly wear any clothing right?" Ginny questioned as she studied Hermoine's frumpy gray wool sweater, long maroon plaid skirt and gray knee socks.

"I know very well what they wear," Hermoine snapped back giving Ginny a glare.

"Ok, ok. Just making sure," Ginny said raising up her arms.

"Well I'm going as a tavern girl," Blaise voiced.

"Are those the ones with the short puffy skirts and basically are a really slutty waitress outfit?" Ginny said sweetly.

"Yup," Blaise affirmed with a grin.

"Wait I want to see it. Put it on now," Ginny ordered. Blaise rolled her blue eyes, but complied with Ginny's demands. Lifting up her wand, Blaise muttered a few words transforming her normal clothes into her wench costume.

The skirt was a little past her thigh and blood red. It was underlined with many petticoats giving it lots of volume. A brown leather corset was tied on top of a silky white blouse with all the buttons left open. Blaise's bust was protruding provocatively out of the top of the corset. Her black hair was caught up in a red handkerchief and gold hoops dangled from her ears. Ginny let out a hoot and punched her fist in the air causing Blaise and Hermoine to crack up.

"Man Blaise, you look hot!" Ginny screeched. Blaise raised an eye before turning to Hermoine.

"All right girl, let's see what you got," Blaise said throwing her a wink. Hermoine shyly took out her wand and muttered a spell before transforming her clothes. A tight white blouse adorned her upper half with leather strings tying together. A rich purple skirt cascaded down her legs at an angle showing almost all of her right hip, but growing longer as it curved around her body. Bright pink, orange and yellow sashes were tied around her waist as gold bracelets jangled on her wrists and hoops appeared in her ears.

"Nice Hermoine," Blaise said with a smile, "Ron's not going to know what hit him."

"What about you, Ginny? What are you wearing?" Hermoine asked turning her attention to the red head.

"Oh I don't know. I'm not sure what I want to wear yet," Ginny admitted.

"Really?" Blaise questioned. Ginny nodded her head.

"Hmmm. What about a genie?" Hermoine suggested.

"Naw, that's too slutty for me," Ginny replied.

"Indian? Hippie? Clown? Little red riding hood?" Blaise threw out suggestions.

"Blaise, you are not helping," Ginny said rolling her eyes.

"I know, but it was funny seeing your reactions to my ideas," Blaise said with a grin.

"Oh hey! I know what I'll do!" Ginny said suddenly. She muttered a few words before transforming herself. Blaise and Hermoine's eyes grew wide at her appearance while a pleased smile spread across Ginny's face.

"Wow Ginny. You look gorgeous!" Hermoine complimented her. A knock at the door alerted the girl's attention to the guys waiting for them outside. One by one they left the common room and joined the guys out in the hallway. Dean was dressed as a pirate. A red bandana covered his dread locks and gold hoops were in his ears. A black patch was over his eyes and a black curly mustache was above his lips. He wore blue pinstripes for pants, a ripped white t-shirt and a sword tied around his waist.

Harry was dressed in all black, as a stealth ninja while Ron looked somewhat like an idiot in his jester outfit. Hermoine however and for whatever reason, thought it was completely adorable and completely Ron. Tristan was dressed like a courtesan from the Shakespearean era. Excited, the group headed out of the hallway towards the Great Hall where the ball would commence. Ginny was startled for a moment when she felt a hand slip into hers, but Tristan gave her a reassuring grin causing her to relax. Tonight was going to be fun and it was going to put all her troubles out of her mind, only if for a night. Something however was brooding in the back of her mind that something just wasn't right, that all wasn't well in Hogwarts. Something was going to happen.

* * *

**Finally, the next chapter! A lot more dialogue then usual. I was expecting to get to the actually ball in this one, but that just didn't happen. Don't worry. The ball will definitely be next chapter and it is going to be a pretty intense one at that. I'm so excited for it! I hope you liked this one however. Please review!**

**.:Angelgrl185:.**


	12. Heat of the Night

Friends Close, Enemies Closer

**.:Angelgrl185:.**

_((I don't own the Harry Potter Series of any of its components))_

* * *

Chapter Twelve: Heat of the Night

* * *

"Draco, aren't you going to the ball?" Pansy's voice filtered into the room as she passed by. She stopped at the foot of the couch and looked down at him questioningly.

"I don't know," he answered in a gruff voice.

"But Draco! You have to go!" Pansy pleaded.

"Why's that?" Draco asked irritably.

"Because you have to dance with me!" Pansy said in a whiny voice.

"Oh yeah? Well now I'm definitely not going," Draco sneered giving Pansy a glare. Pansy sniffed and walked away leaving Draco alone.

"I don't need to go to some stupid ball," Draco said to himself.

'And why not?' his mind questioned.

'She'll be there,' he answered.

'All the more of a reason to go,' his mind said.

'Have you gone crazy? I don't want to be with her. That's a reason to not go,' Draco yelled at his mind.

'Denial. What a sad state to be in,' his mind said softly. Draco could almost see it shaking its head. Well, if it had one anyways.

'I'm not in denial,' Draco growled.

'Um, let's go over this shall we?' his mind suggested to silence.

'Right. So this girl comes to school who is the epitome of everything you ever wanted in a girl except she is isn't particularly attractive. Then she turns out to be Ginny Weasley who is by the way hot and you feel insulted, betrayed or whatever because you were tricked. Now you are sulking because you are alone and unhappy because you still like her, a lot, but you are too much of an idiot to see it therefore you are in denial,' his mind concluded triumphantly.

"Shut-up," Draco hissed aloud.

'See! See! I've hit a nerve! Denial! Denial!' his mind yelled in a singsong voice.

"I said shut-up! This isn't a freakin' musical!" Draco growled.

'Look, all I am saying is that maybe you are being too hard on her and yourself. Blaise explained why she had to do it in the first place and to me it sounds logical. I mean if a big, ugly, all-powerful wizard was hunting me, I'd up and run too,' his mind said.

'I would not run,' Draco said sullenly.

'No, I said I would run,' his mind restated.

'You are me,' Draco reminded him.

'Oh yeah. Well then, you would definitely run,' his mind decided.

'Would not.'

"Would too.'

'You know what?'

'What?'

'Shut-up."

'Only if you go to the ball and talk to Ginny,' his mind proposed.

'Fine. Maybe you are right. Maybe I have been too hard on her. It's just frustrating. She won't get out of my head. I see her everywhere. Smell her, hear her, she haunts my dreams,' Draco confessed.

'That's because you love her,' his mind explained.

"Love?" Draco whispered aloud, "No, not love. She definitely gets to me though,"

Draco got off of the couch and pulled out his wand. Whispering a few words he transformed into his costume. As he left the Slytherin tower and headed towards the Great Hall, he could have sworn he heard someone whisper a word. _Denial_.

* * *

The entrance to the Great Hall appeared before their eyes as the excited chatter of fellow students reached their ears. Ginny squeezed Tristan's hand excitedly her heart fluttering in anticipation. She flashed him a brilliant smile as her eyes twinkled merrily. Tristan grinned in response his bright blue eyes crinkling with the depth of his smile. Ginny turned her gaze back to the door. That's when she noticed the actual doors had been replaced with thick sheets of ice trimmed in frosted snow. They gasped in delight as the doors opened automatically so they could pass through. Hermoine however, stopped and started trying to figure out what spell had been used to create such a trick.

"Hermoine," Ron said exasperated when he noticed that his date was MIA. He ran back and grabbed her by the arm dragging her into the hall despite her protests. They ran head on into the rest of the group who had stopped to stare in awe at the decorations the Great Hall displayed.

The walls around the perimeter of the room were glazed in thick ice also frosted with snow like the door. On the floor a soft layer of snow covered the ground surrounding the white with veined gold marble dance floor. The ceiling was bewitched to have glittering snow falling from a clear starry night sky. It fell upon the hall and melted when it neared someone. Lights of various colors wrapped around the room causing light to dance along the ice in various glittering patterns. A roaring bonfire with white fur seats around it was on the left side of the hall and the band blasting music was on the right. Chestnuts were roasting on the open fire as well as s'mores and cups of hot cider.

"Dean, let's go!" Blaise said enthusiastically tugging her partner onto the floor. Dean quickly complied and soon they were grinding away to the blasting music. Harry, his date, Ron and Hermoine followed them laughing happily. Ginny lifted her head and scanned the room for a certain platinum blond head but he was not in sight.

"Shall we?" Tristan's voice broke through her concentration. Ginny looked up at him and smiled.

"We shall," she agreed. Tristan held out his hand and Ginny gingerly placed hers in it. Tristan brought her hand to his lips and pressed a feathery kiss to the back.

"Milady," he said with a sweeping bow before leading her off toward the dance floor. Ginny giggled at his chivalry. She placed her hand on Tristan's left shoulder and clasped her left hand in his right. His whisked her off and soon they were dancing in a sea of colors. They spun, dipped and pranced about. Ginny danced with Dean, Harry and even Ron. That wasn't pleasant however since alls he did was step on her feet and his jester's hat kept poking her in the eye.

Needless to say she was very happy when Hermoine reclaimed her man and she was dancing with Tristan once again. Tristan. What a great friend. He was so much fun Ginny almost forgot about _him_. Almost. When Ginny shook her head to clear her thoughts Tristan gave her a concerned look. Ginny smiled to let him know that she was ok then challenged him to do a salsa dance with her.

Ginny loved salsa. The dance was like fire and the moves were so spicy. It was such a close intimate dance, but Ginny liked it because it was a challenge. Her partner, Tristan, surprised her with his skill and vigor for the dance. He would spin her out and pull her back into his strong arms the momentum making her hair fling out wildly. Then he would gently caress her body as they grinded slowly together.

Ginny could feel the heat generating between them as they danced. Tristan's breath was hot on her neck and she herself was nearly breathless. They twirled exotically and dipped erotically. Ginny could feel what this was doing to Tristan every time he drew her close. She could see the desire pooling in his eyes darkening them and it excited her. She felt like she had power. Felt like for once she had control.

As the beat ended and the rhythm slowed Tristan dipped Ginny into a low bow, her lower body pressed intimately against his. Tristan's head was bowed over her breasts, which were heaving from lack of air. He looked up at her. Ginny's eyes were half closed in pleasure and her soft pink lips were open as she gasped in breaths. She licked her lips, which were parched from the heat of the dance. That sent him over the edge.

Tristan pulled Ginny up into standing position making her breasts push against his chest and he covered her lips with his own. Ginny's eyes flew wide open as Tristan kissed her his tongue assaulting hers. Ginny placed her hands on his shoulders, not to draw him closer, but to shove him away. Ginny pulled her head back and broke contact as she pushed herself out of his arms.

"Tristan, what are you doing?" Ginny hissed in a low voice.

"I'm sorry, Ginny. I didn't mean to offend you," Tristan apologized.

"It's just that, gods, do you know how beautiful you are? What you do to a man?" he asked his blue eyes burning into hers.

"What?" Ginny asked in shock.

"Ginny, you are one of the most beautiful girls in school. You're smart, funny and one hell of a quidditch player. I kinda like you," Tristan admitted somewhat shyly.

"Oh Tristan. I'm so sorry. I never knew you felt that way," Ginny said her eyes growing downcast.

"I wish I could return your feelings, really I do, but, I can't," Ginny said her eyes showing her sincerity. Tristan looked down briefly and nodded his head.

"I understand. I guess I kinda knew the reason all a long and was hoping that there was still a chance for me," he admitted looking back up at her.

"What are you talking about?" Ginny asked confused.

"Him," Tristan said.

"Who?" Ginny said in bewilderment.

"Him," Tristan repeated this time pointing over her shoulders. Ginny turned around and soft platinum blond hair caught her attention.

"No Tristan, you are mistaken. I don't have any feelings for, him," Ginny said through clenched teeth.

"It's ok, Ginny. Go to him. He's only here for you," Tristan said with a sad smile before walking away and disappearing through the sea of dancers.

Ginny turned her attention back to Draco who was staring at her openly. He looked like a king. He was dressed in tight black pants and a loose white shirt that was tied with silver string and hung open revealing the peak of a firm chest. A thick leather form of chain mail was placed over top the shirt with the emblem of the Slytherin house embroidered in silver and green on the front. A rich green cloak adorned his body outlined in silver and black dragon hide gloves were on his hands and boots on his feet.

His hair was loose and tousled upon his head and two diamond studs glittered in his ears. A silver sword was resting in a hilt tied around his waist and a long silver chain bearing the Malfoy emblem was around his neck. Ginny's eyes flew to his. They were opened in what seemed to be shock, his mouth forming a small "o." Draco seemed to catch himself and shook his head before taking on a stormy appearance and turning abruptly on his heels stalking out of the Great Hall. Ginny's green eyes shot open and she took off after him. He was not getting away this time.

* * *

Draco walked somewhat apprehensively towards the Great Hall. He felt rather uncomfortable in a stupid costume and wished he was going anywhere but a stupid dance. His mind however would be relentless in its torture if Draco backed out now so he continued on. The decorations didn't even faze him as he walked in the Great Hall. The floor was covered with a myriad of dancers. It was impossible to tell who anyone was.

Well almost everyone. Draco sneered as a girl in a pink princess dress flounced by her dark hair bouncing behind her, her fat sticking out the sides of the dress. Pansy could be found in the dark, she's what created it. One couple that danced passed him caught his eye then. He recognized the male to be Tristan, but had yet to determine who the female was.

"Gryffindor with just a pretty face eh, Tristan?" Draco said to himself with a laugh. From what he could see, it was a Gryffindor with more than just a pretty face. She wore a green medieval style gown the hugged her every curve. It was embroidered in gold and silver with an empire waist. Thick petticoats made it twirl and swish with her every movement. The front of the dress was square cut and dove low revealing her full and supple breasts. A silver choker was gracing her pale smooth neck with an emerald nestled inside. Her vibrant red hair was flowing softly down her back like a waterfall of rich curls.

"Wait a minute. There's only one family with hair that color," Draco said to himself.

"Ginny," he whispered in awe. She was beautiful. Her green eyes were shining brightly and her lush pink lips were curved in a smile showing off her brilliant white teeth.

"What the hell is she doing with Tristan?" he asked the question hanging in the air.

"What's more, what the hell is she doing dancing like that with Tristan?" Draco growled feeling something akin to jealously spread inside.

Then something happened. Tristan dipped Ginny gently in a low bow before pulling her up against him. He paused a moment before claiming her lips with his own. Draco felt his eyes widened in shock. He blinked a couple of times not believing what he had just seen and when he looked back, Ginny was staring into Tristan's eyes. Draco felt his blood begin to boil She had betrayed him again! She was looking at him now with her bright green orbs. Draco couldn't read the emotion in them and he didn't want to. Fists clenched Draco turned on his heels and stormed out.

* * *

"Draco, wait!" Ginny yelled as she picked up her dress and followed after him. She winced as she ran in her heels. They hurt. She could see his solid forming walking briskly in front of her and she put on a burst of speed to catch up with him. He was ignoring her calls, but Ginny paid no heed and kept shouting at him. When she caught of with him she grabbed his arm and pulled on it bringing him to a halt. Draco wrenched his arm out of her grasp and whipped his body around. His silver eyes had darkened to a stormy gray and a sneer was upon his face.

"Get off of me, weasel," he growled.

"Draco, it's not what you think," Ginny pleaded.

"Not what I think? I saw you sucking face with Tristan!" Draco hissed.

"I was not sucking face with Tristan! He surprised me that's all. I didn't even enjoy it!" Ginny protested.

"That's not what it looked like from my angle," Draco drawled.

"Well then your angle sucks," Ginny said with a snort.

"Get away from me, Weasley. I'm done with you," Draco said before starting to turn around.

"Well I'm not done with you," Ginny declared. She reached out and grabbed Draco by the lapels of his robe and pulled him back towards her hard. Ginny stood up on her toes and kissed him. She pressed her lips upon his softly enjoying their fullness as she placed one arm against his solid chest. Draco didn't respond and Ginny felt her heart begin to sink to her stomach when all of a sudden his was kissing her back fiercely.

Draco snaked a hand behind her neck and dove his fingers into her thick red curls as he inhaled her scent. The delicate scent of strawberries and vanilla. Ginny sighed opening her mouth allowing Draco entrance. She felt a tremor run through her as his tongue invaded her mouth and she was given the immediate taste of mint. Ginny reached up her hands and put in on the back on Draco's neck her fingers connecting with silky silver strands as Draco wrapped his arms around her waist, drawing her in. Her skin felt on fire where his hands were touching her and his lips were full and soft against her own. She sighed into his mouth, content with her position as he caressed her face when he cupped it with his hands. It was bliss; something she never knew she could feel was heating up in her. Draco nipped her lips and sucked on the bottom one before pulling away. Ginny felt in a daze, opening her bright green eyes lazily peering at Draco. He had the same intense look in his eyes as he did moments ago and his lips curled back into the familiar smirk.

"As I said, Weasley, I'm done with you. You only would have been a good shag," Draco said icily before roughly pushing her away and walking out of her sight. Ginny's mouth fell open in shock as she watched him walk away. Nothing. It had meant nothing to him. How could something that felt so right, that felt so freakin amazing to her feel like nothing to him? Ginny felt something inside of her break and she sank to the floor in defeat.

Silently small-crystallized tears gathered in her eyes and slowly drifted down her face, dropping off her cheeks and landing forgotten on the stone ground. More tears collected in her eyes and she cried openly now sobs wracking through her body. Ginny gathered herself in her arms as the silvery rivers trailed down her face and curved onto her lips. She could taste the saltiness and didn't move to wipe them away. Why did he always leave her so weak?

* * *

"Hey Dean, mind if I cut in?" Tristan asked the other boy when he appeared beside him.

"No by all means," Dean said handing over his date.

"Hey Tristan," Blaise said with a smile.

"Hello Blaise. I forgot to tell you how beautiful you look tonight," Tristan said with a smile.

"Oh the flattery," Blaise said waving away his praise with a laugh.

"Where's Ginny?" she asked suddenly.

"I think she left with Malfoy," Tristan said. Blaise studied him for a moment.

"Oh Tristan, I'm sorry. I should have realized that you liked her. I could have told you that her heart was somewhere else," Blaise said apologetically.

"No it's ok. I kinda already knew myself. I was just ignoring it. Besides, it's not as bad as I thought. I guess I didn't really like her all that much after all. She was just a really good friend," Tristan said with a smile.

A heavy wind stormed through the hall, chilling the students causing most of them to freeze in the middle of their dances. It was always warm in the hall, never cold and definitely never windy even with the snowy decorations. Dumbledore and some of the professors were standing up now looking curiously at the entrance to the great hall. That's when it happened. Death Eaters, clothed in black robes and masks stormed into the great hall, wands brandished and firing curses left and right.

The students panicked, screams erupting in the air as they ran around, trying to escape the intruders. Dumbledore seemed shocked by the fact that the dark wizards found a way into Hogwarts; it was unimaginable. Minerva McGonagall pulled the aging wizard down behind the refreshments table, grasping the back of his black robes, barely saving him from a curse sent their way from one of the death eaters. That knocked him out of his stupor. Rage as fierce as the winds in a white squall wracked through the headmaster of the school, his eyes lit with blue fire. He pulled out his wand and charged.

Tristan and Blaise broke apart as soon as the screams erupted and they stared in shock along with Harry, Hermoine and Ron. A Death Eater appeared near them and targeted Blaise. Shouting the killing curse some could only watch as the bright flash of green light sped towards the Slytherin beauty.

"Watch out!" Tristan yelled as he jumped towards Blaise knocking her down to the floor. He landed on top of her and covered her head with his arms. When the curse had passed over them he lifted himself off of her and stared into her eyes which were full of fear.

"It's ok Blaise. I'm here for you. I won't let anything happen to you," Tristan said softly as he stroked her silky black hair. Blaise nodded her head and her face softened. Tristan got up and helped Blaise off the ground before both of them began fighting.

Harry had targeted his first attack at a large crystal chandelier that seemed to be floating in the air. His spell caused it to lose its weightlessness as it careened towards the floor, smashing into two Death Eaters, knocking them out cold and quite possibly for good. Hermoine's robes were billowing out in tune to her wrath and her sharp eyes scanned the hall for her victim targeting a Death Eater about to kill a first year. Shouting a few quick words, Hermoine's spell lifted up the Death Eater into the air and propelled him into the opposite wall. Ron fought fiercely alongside them and all the Professors and students who were all trying desperately to save their home. Bodies littered the floor, some Death Eaters, some students, some knocked out or injured, some dead. When the great hall had calmed down some and the only sounds heard were the panting of the physically exhausted and the sobbing of grieving students, the Death Eaters retreated as cheers of triumph broke out. Ron looked around at Hermoine and Harry and grinned until it faltered slightly.

"Where's Ginny?"

* * *

Ginny lifted up her head when the eruption of high-pitched screams reached her ears. These weren't the normal screams of excitement that had been shouted at the ball earlier, but blood curdling screams of terror. Ginny froze her green eyes now wide in disbelief and fear. A low raspy chuckle filtered in her ears chilling her to the bone. Slowly turning her head to the right, Ginny discovered beady yellow eyes gleaming at her behind a thick black silk mask. A gasp escaped through her dusty pink lips as she stared at the black robed Death Eater. Ginny reacted quickly, sending sparks shooting out at the Death Eater with a force powered by anger and fear. The stunning spell hit the Death Eater mid crackle and Ginny took off running down the hall as he slumped to the floor, another Death Eater hot on her heels.

Ginny gasped in air as she ran down the hallway not really sure where she was going now. The glassy tears that had fallen blurred her vision and she just kept running. She heard the pounding of the Death Eater behind her and when the beginning of an incantation sounded from his lips she dove to the floor. Bright red sparks flew past her over her head and hit the wall in front of her in a burst of bright lights. Ginny rolled on the floor and cursed the fact that she was in a big puffy skirt. Getting to her feet, Ginny continued to run and cast a spell to change her costume back to her regular robes. Ginny felt her energy dying but she continued to run, forcing her legs to keep pumping.

She groaned in pain when she ran into a hard body. Hands clenched her arms in an iron tight grip and Ginny squirmed trying to get out of the grasp. Mocking laughing rang in her ears as she struggled. Ginny looked up into a pair of cold gray eyes and her world went dark as pain exploded in her head.

* * *

Draco stormed through the halls of Hogwarts never deterring from his direction. All emotion had been buried inside except for one, rage. He didn't want to feel, didn't want to remember. His boots hit the stone floor hard, his anger embedded in each step. Draco found himself in front of the large oak doors that were the entrance to Hogwarts castle. Pushing hard, Draco opened the doors and was greeted by roaring thunder and flashes of lightning. The sky had taken a deep green haze and black clouds were gathering overhead. Draco walked stiffly down the steps of the castle not even wincing as the icy rain drove down on him, stinging his skin through his robes. Purple and white flashes of lightning lit up the sky all around him, illuminating his dark towering frame as he forged through the storm. Draco continued until he reached the end of the property of Hogwarts and in the blink of an eye, apparated.

When he reappeared seconds later, Draco was in a dark room lit with only a few burning flames that surrounded the entire room. The faint light cast an eerie glow on the occupants in the room. Tall, dark frames lingered in a semi circle before him, their heads bowed before one proudly standing figure. Draco's robes rustled in the draft in the room alerting the others to his presence. One of the figures stepped away from the circle as the rest shifted over a space.

"Welcome my son. Take your place among us. The time of the Dark Lord's rise has come." The soft melodious voice drifted into his ear as his father raised a hand and beckoned Draco to him.

Draco moved towards the half circle, his shoes barely making a sound now against the floor as he walked languidly. He reached the circle with his head held high and accepted the black hooded robe handed to him as he took his place next to his father. Draco slipped on the robe feeling the cool silk fabric slide against his skin like the smooth texture of a snake. Once outfitted, Draco moved away from the group towards the center of the semi circle and came to stand before the Dark Lord himself. Bowing his head slightly, Draco dropped to his knees and bowed completely before Voldemort.

"I give you my life in service. Command me, Master. Long live Lord Voldemort."

* * *

**Hey look it's the chapter with the ball! I finally wrote it! I'm sorry if it's not what you imaged and you expecting this grand scene with her and Draco and stuff. I liked it though and I really hope you did too. Please review! I really want to know how you liked this chapter because it's one of my favorites! **

.:Angelgrl185:.


	13. Facade of Loyalty

**Author's Note: I really just wanted to apologize first off to you all. One for being so slow in getting this out and two for not thanking you for the amazing reviews I've been getting for the last couple of chapters. I've been very lazy and unappreciative. I don't really have time to sit here and answer every review because there were tons so I'm just gonna list the names and give a general rundown I guess. I still feel really bad!**

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**Basically I got a lot of anger about Draco becoming a Death Eater. I can't really say much about that. You find out more in this chapter. Yes Draco is being a jerk, but that's how his character is in the books and I'm trying to keep him OCC. Uh…I'm evil. Yup! Can't deny that! Just kidding! I'm glad you guys enjoyed the ball scene, I hope it wasn't to sappy or disappointing for you. Thank you for all the wonderful praise and amazing compliments you all have showered on me! It's ridiculous, but I love it so don't feel like you have to stop! THANK YOU SO MUCH AGAIN!**

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Friends Close, Enemies Closer

**.:Angelgrl185:.**

_((I don't own the Harry Potter Series of any of its components))_

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Chapter Thirteen: Façade of Loyalty

* * *

Death littered the air. Hogwarts was thick with the smell of it. Outraged cries to muffled sobs wracked through the school each filled with the same intense pain. Bodies of students from every house lay lifeless on the floor mixed with the black stain of the dead Death Eaters. Students had worked together to gather the injured and send them off to the hospital ward while covering the dead with ceremonial blankets symbolizing the house of the fallen. The Death Eaters had been revealed and identified though none of them had been important figures in Voldemort's army. They were the lower ranks, none of them being in the inner circle and just a bunch of lowlifes who had given their service over to the power of darkness. They had been piled into a corner full of rubbish where their bodies were to be burned. Dumbledore was refusing to let the Ministry even into the school to conduct any type of investigation.

When all there was to be done was finished and after all the smoke had finally settled, Ron, Hermione, Harry, Blaise, Tristan and the rest of the survivors stood staring at the wreckage that was once the Great Hall of their school. Rubble from broken walls and ceilings had crashed to the floor. Fires from the torches lining the hallways had exploded into heated infernos. Many of the metallic objects decorating the Great Halls and some of the surrounding hallways had been melted while wooden items singed. Wandering near the classrooms one would not have been able to tell that a battle had been fought within Hogwarts were it not for the empty hollow feeling that now encased the school.

"I can't find Ginny, " Ron's scared voice broke through the far away thoughts of those around him.

"Last time I saw her she heading over to Draco," Tristan recalled.

"Yeah and I saw them both leave the Great Hall about the same time. They didn't look very happy," Blaise added with a thoughtful look.

"He was probably in on this whole attack! He probably stole Ginny!" Ron yelled angrily.

"Don't be an idiot!" Blaise hissed her blue eyes darkening, "Draco would never do anything to harm Ginny!"

"Oh yeah? And why is that?" Ron challenged his green eyes narrowing suspiciously.

"Because he loves her! He just doesn't know it yet!" Blaise blurted out. Her response was met with silence.

"Well he's got a great way of showing it," Ron finally spoke up.

"True. He's done nothing but make her life miserable since the day he met her," Hermione agreed.

"Blaise is right," Harry said suddenly. Four pairs of shocked eyes turned to him.

"Draco does love her. Well, he loved Angelina anyways. I could tell from the way he always protected her. When we had detention together that's when I figured out that he really cared for her. I don't see why he would feel any different with Ginny," Harry explained.

"Draco was upset when he realized that he had been tricked, but he can't hold that against her too long. It wasn't even her fault. Draco can't hold back his feelings forever," Blaise surmised.

"Are you guys being serious?" Ron asked incredulously, "That git really likes my sister?"

"It would seem that way," Harry confirmed.

"Blimey, no wonder she has been acting so strange lately," Ron said in wonder.

"Ginny and Draco have been fighting nonstop since he discovered her real identity. He's being an idiot. The whole Malfoy pride thing has completely taken over," Blaise explained.

"He better not hurt her or I'll kill him," Ron threatened.

"Well we need to find him before you can even touch him. We need to find both of them in fact," Hermione pointed out.

"But we searched the entire castle for them," Blaise reminded her.

"Let's go to Dumbledore then," Tristan suggested, "He'll know what to do."

* * *

"Let go of me!" Ginny yelled as she fought against her captor. His sharp nails were digging into her skin as he clenched her wrists tightly. The Death Eater dragged her hard across the stone floor. Ginny was barely able to keep up with his pace. He forced her out of the school and dragged her through the grounds until they reached the edge of the lands. With a firm grip on Ginny, the Death Eater apparated away taking Ginny with him.

It was the strangest feeling she had ever experienced. Her body began to shake and vibrate each second becoming more and more violent. Then the tingling began. The sensation started in her toes then traveled all the way up through the rest of her body. Ginny closed her eyes so she wouldn't see the pieces of her body that began to disappear. Then with a sudden stomach drop, her body was lurched to another location.

A smoldering black cloud hung low in the night sky. Partially blocking the moon it cast shadows upon the open field. A tall pit of orange fire burned in the middle it's glowing embers melting against the blackness. Decaying brown grass stretched far off into the distance combined with rotten trees and moldy earth.

A group of figures stood silently in the night watching the dancing flames. Black woolen masks and silk cloaks with the hoods lifted high on their heads hid their identity from prying eyes. A form that radiated power stood before them. His beady yellow eyes glinting against the firelight.

Ginny stifled a gasp as she beheld Lord Voldemort. He was a foreboding figure and the evil aura that exuded off of him was beginning to make her head spin and her stomach turn. The Death Eater who brought her to the gathering pulled her sharply towards him as he made his way towards his dark master. Ginny struggled but it was in vain for her strength was no match for her captor.

Draco's eyes along with the rest of the circle's flew to the two new additions. As Ginny's rumpled appearance and scared face registered in his mind, he felt something churn in the pit of his stomach. She was trying so hard to be brave. He could tell. He could read her like a book. This wasn't supposed to happen. Why was she here? What could Voldemort possibly want with Ginny?

"I have brought the girl as you have requested, Master," the Death Eater said as he threw Ginny down at Voldemort's feet.

"Well done, Avery. You shall be rewarded highly for your success," Voldemort spoke. Avery dropped to his knees and bowed his head in thanks. Voldemort motioned for him to get up before turning to Ginny.

"Miss Weasley, so glad you could join us," he rasped making a few of the Death Eaters break out into hollow chuckles.

"What do you want from me?" Ginny asked evenly trying to not let the fear enter her voice.

"I do not want anything from you. Just the pleasure of your company," Voldemort said. Ginny narrowed her eyes in suspicion.

"I don't believe you."

"Believe what you want little girl, it doesn't matter. You have no say here," Voldemort said waving away her words as he turned from her.

"Take her away to the dungeons. She'll be most comfortable there," he demanded nodding at one of the Death Eaters. Draco moved silently forward thankful that he wasn't summoned by name. Moving to stand next to Ginny he studied her face carefully. Her normally bright green eyes were now flashing in anger and hate. Her chin was lifted defiantly as her lips were drawn tight in a look of disgust.

"It doesn't matter where you take me," Ginny said evenly, "I won't be here that long anyways."

"Oh? And how do you presume that?" Voldemort sneered as he turned around to face her.

"Harry. Harry Potter will save me and he will bring Dumbledore with him," Ginny said confidently, "Then there will be nothing you can do. Dumbledore is more powerful than you will ever be."

At her words Voldemort hissed and his eyes flashed in anger. He walked quickly up to Ginny and stood before her, towering over her small frame. Lifting a hand he drew it back before smashing it across her face. Ginny yelped in pain as his fist connected with her face painfully. The smooth skin on her lips cracked open and a thick crimson line of blood began to seep out. Her pale face was marred by red and the skin on the right side was beginning to swell slightly from the force. Draco clenched his fist as he watched Ginny be struck and had to hold himself back to keep from interfering. His anger was mounting by the minute at how she was being treated. Inside Draco's emotions were conflicting. Anger and bitterness were still harbored towards her from the dance, but when he saw Voldemort strike her, protectiveness inside of him came forth swelling him with hatred towards anyone who would seek to harm Ginny.

"I am sick and tired of hearing about Dumbledore. He is an old fool and shouting clichés about him is not going to save you," Voldemort hissed violently before turning around and walking away. Ginny spat at him as he left. Blood mingled with thick saliva that had collected in her mouth.

Draco reached out a hand and grabbed her arm before roughly pulling her up. Ginny protested and sent the unknown Death Eater a glare before trying to wrench her arm out of his grasp. Draco only tightened his grip before he apparated to the dungeon of Voldemort's lair taking Ginny with him. Once inside Draco relaxed his grip a little and led her over to the corner where a bunch of straw was piled. Refusing to speak and make his identity known, Draco pointed to the straw and waited for Ginny to sit down on it.

Ginny stared up at him curiously instead of sitting down. Why was this Death Eater being somewhat gentle with her? It's not like roughing her up would kill her so why was he being nice? Death Eaters hated her. Hated her family. Ginny turned herself so she could get a better look at his face, which was covered by a black mask. His silvery gray eyes however were peering out from them with a peculiar look. Silver eyes that were very familiar.

"Draco?" Ginny whispered in a small voice backing away from him. Draco's eyes widened when he heard his name and he stood frozen unsure of what to do.

"Draco," Ginny repeated her tone taking on a cold front.

"Ginny," he finally answered refusing to look her in the eyes.

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised to see you here. Slytherins never were known for loyalty," Ginny said sarcastically.

"Loyalty? Well in case you didn't notice, it doesn't run in the Gryffindors either. At least not ones that I know," Draco hissed looking pointedly at Ginny.

"You're calling me a traitor? You're the one wearing a bloody black robe with a freakin' death mark burned into your arm!" Ginny screeched, "How's that for being a traitor, Malfoy?"

"You wouldn't understand," Draco said evenly his silver eyes steeled.

"What's there to understand? You are a Death Eater! You are the epitome of everything that I hate!" Ginny said vehemently.

"Well you obviously never liked me much anyways so what does it matter?" Draco replied sharply.

"You are such an idiot! A proud, arrogant, idiot," Ginny hissed glaring angrily at him, "You never let me explain anything. You just assume the worst out of everyone. No wonder no one likes you except for your housemates. It's a good thing you became a Death Eater. At least you belong somewhere now," she finished coldly. Draco reeled back from the sting of her words. They were like a sharp sword cutting deep in to his soul. He stiffened his form and gave her one last cold look before turning sharply and exiting the dungeon slamming the door shut with a bang that echoed loudly.

Ginny collapsed exhaustedly to the floor the hay poking her body uncomfortably. Draco was a Death Eater. Even for all her words she still couldn't believe it. Bitterness crept inside as she thought of their conversation, as she thought of his low opinion of her. She didn't mean to be so harsh; it was just a natural defense against his rejection. Draco was a Death Eater. He had the mark of the Dark Lord burned into his flesh. He was a traitor to her cause and even after all that happened, she still loved him. That's what hurt the most.

* * *

Draco was seething by the time he had apparated out of the dungeon. Ginny's words had hurt him far more than he would let himself realize. He contorted all his raging emotions for her into anger. It was the easiest emotion to deal with and one Voldemort highly sought. Voldemort could feel the anger radiating off of the youngest Death Eater as he returned to the circle.

"Don't worry, Draco. You won't have to deal with that brat much longer," Voldemort said to him mistaking the source of his anger to be hatred and contempt for Ginny instead of the mixed emotions he was feeling about her. Draco felt his fingers stiffen as the meaning of the words registered in his brain. Voldemort turned away from him then and looked back at the circle.

"Why did you bring her here, milord?" one of the Death Eaters questioned.

"She's is my bait. She will bring Harry Potter to me," Voldemort said with a wicked smile on his face.

"Harry Potter? He brings nothing but trouble, Lord Voldemort. Remember what he has done in the past," another Death Eater spoke up.

"Are you questioning my power, Bellatrix?" Voldemort hissed as he glared at the woman, "Are you insinuating that a mere boy is more powerful than me?"

"No, milord. I'm just wondering what your purpose is in bringing the boy here," Bellatrix quickly replied.

"There is something about the legend that Miss. Weasley has failed to remember," Voldemort explained, "The Masamune can bring the wielder immortality if and only if he slices his mortal enemy with the blade and drinks his blood. The sword is bewitched by the gods, it knows the blood it sheds."

"So you need Potter's blood in order to become immortal," Avery stated.

"Yes. Then the blade needs to be destroyed for then it will be the only thing that can kill me."

"How will she be able to lure Potter here?" a Death Eater asked.

"She has her ways."

* * *

"I can't believe this!" Ron said angrily as he stared daggers at the door closed before him. He and the rest of the kids were sitting outside a locked door pacing as they waited for the members of the Order of the Phoenix to decide what they were going to do. They had gone immediately to Dumbledore when they couldn't locate Ginny or Malfoy. Dumbledore had given out the alarm and assembled the order. Now they were discussing what to do about Ginny and Malfoy.

"This is ridiculous. Ginny is our friend. My best friend!" Blaise shouted looking heatedly at the door, "We should be in there too."

"I feel really helpless," Hermione admitted from her seat on the floor. She was leaning against the wall opposite to the door with her knees pressed against her chest.

"Why would Voldemort want Ginny anyways?" Harry asked aloud. Most of them shook their heads, but Blaise's eyes lit up.

"The memory," she said plainly. All attention turned towards the dark haired beauty.

"What are you talking about, Blaise?" Tristan questioned from his seat next to her.

"I don't know if she told you all the reason she changed her identity," Blaise began looking around the room, "It was because Voldemort was hunting her to kill her. When she was in the Chamber she obtained a memory from him that revealed his plans to come back to power. Something happened that locked the memory away, but slowly she has been receiving it back. I bet you that's why he took her."

"Yeah she told us about that before she changed her identity. We thought she was going into a protection program, not back to Hogwarts," Ron admitted.

"So you are saying that Voldemort took Ginny before she could tell anyone about the memory?" Hermione questioned.

"Sort of. I think he took her so she wouldn't reveal anymore. Ginny told me all about it as well as Dumbledore," Blaise explained.

"Ok, but what good does this do us?" Tristan asked.

"I know where he's taking her."

* * *

Ginny leaned back against the cold stonewalls of her prison. The air was damp and cold inside the dungeon causing her to shiver. It smelled musty and she could have sworn she heard rats scurrying about on the opposite side. Silent tears slipped down her cheeks as she wallowed in her misery. Things were not looking too good for her. She was locked in a dungeon in who knows where by a dark lord and a bunch of his top ranking followers. There was no way she could escape on her own. By now the school should have noticed that she was missing, but there was no way to know where she was and there was no way Ginny could get in touch with them.

Ginny froze as she pondered her last thought. She had completely forgotten that she was a Legilimens! She could contact someone that way and let him or her know what had happened to her. Ginny frowned a moment. She still didn't know where she was or how they could get her, but at least they'd know what had happened and that she was safe. Dumbledore would be the best one for her to reach, but Ginny knew she would never be able to break into his mind. Harry Potter was her next bet. She doubted that he knew how to block a Legilimens out.

Smiling slightly, she crossed her legs and straightened her back. Ginny place both hands on either side of her head at the temples and took a deep breath. A warm feeling soaked through her canceling out the cold, dampness of the dungeon as she began to weave her magic. The familiar strands of crimson and gold comforted her as she entwined them, creating unique patterns in her mind. Once she had finished creating her gateway Ginny conjured up a picture of Harry in her mind. Good old Harry with his twinkling green eyes and messy black hair. Green and gold strands beckoned her outside her gate. Ginny let her mind travel beyond into the in-between and followed the path of the green and gold strands until she reached a gateway made of the same colors. She entered it a pleasant feeling passing through her body as she made contact with Harry's mind.

_"Harry?"_ she called out tentatively. She didn't want to frighten him. She felt his confusion and a slight twinge of fear when he heard her voice inside his head. Then he relaxed and she assumed he recognized her voice.

_"Ginny? Is that you?"_ he called back.

_"Yes!"_ Ginny nearly shouted in excitement.

_"Where are you? Are you ok?" _Harry asked in a concerned voice.

_"I'm as well as I can be in this situation," _Ginny answered, _"As for where I am, that I couldn't tell you." _

_"Blaise wants to know if Draco is ok,"_ Harry said. Ginny paused a moment before answering.

_"Draco's fine,"_ she answered not able to tell Blaise the truth.

_"Ginny we're coming to get you. Blaise told us about the memory and how the Masamune is located somewhere Greece,"_ Harry revealed. Ginny felt her heart quicken at the thought of being saved.

_"I don't know where it is in Greece, Harry. I just know it's there," _Ginny replied sadly.

_"But you can show me through what you are doing now. Show me what it looks like," _Harry urged her.

_"I don't think I'm in Greece yet, Harry. The Winter Solstice is still three days away."_

_"When you go, immediately let me know what it looks like or where it is if you can tell and we were get there and bring you back," _Harry said confidently. Ginny smiled.

_"Thank you, Harry."_

_"You would have done the same for any one of us, Gin."_

_"No, thank you for still caring. Even after what happened." _Ginny explained.

_"Ginny, nothing could ever make me stop caring about you. Not even you being with Draco,"_ Harry replied.

_"I'm not with Draco. He doesn't care about me that way,"_ Ginny corrected him sadly.

_"That's not what Blaise tells me."_

_"Blaise is living off of her fantasy world. Draco could never feel that way about anyone," _

_"Don't be so harsh on him, Ginny. I know this may sound weird coming from me, but Malfoy isn't the enemy. He's a good guy, Gin. He loves you. It just might take a while for him to realize it," _Harry said softly.

_'If only you knew,' _Ginny thought to herself bitterly.

_"I need to go, Harry. Before he realizes what I am doing. Tell my family that I'm fine and that I love them,"_ Ginny said not wanting to leave the connection.

_"I will. Bye Gin." _

_"Bye Harry."_

_

* * *

_

"What are we going to do, Albus?" Mrs. Weasley's hysterical voice broke out into the group.

"Do we even know where she is?" Mr. Weasley questioned.

"We don't know exactly where she is, but I know that she is with Voldemort," Dumbledore replied.

"How are we going to get her back?" Remus Lupin chimed in.

"I'm not exactly sure, Remus," Dumbledore admitted.

"What are they going to do with her? They're going to kill my baby!" Mrs. Weasley screeched.

"Calm down, Molly. Your hysterics won't do your daughter any good," Dumbledore said giving her a stern look. "Voldemort won't kill Ginny, not yet anyways. He's using her as bait I believe."

"Bait? Bait for whom?"

"Harry. I think he's trusting on Ginny to use her Legilimens ability to contact Harry. That's why we must keep a tight rein on all of the students. Harry is not to be allowed to go to Ginny."

"Why would Voldemort want Harry to come to him? Especially after what happened last time?" Snape questioned.

"I think he's trying to prove that Harry is just a lucky boy. Voldemort doesn't want to be defeated by a child. He wants to kill Harry to prove that nothing can stop him." Dumbledore explained.

"So this whole thing is a matter of pride?" Arthur asked incredulously.

"Voldemort is searching for the mythical blade the Masamune. With it he can kill anyone or destroy anything. It would be easy for him to kill Harry with it should Harry go to save Ginny."

"Then we need to make sure Harry and the other do not know what is going on," Remus stated. "Ginny may contact him, but Harry wouldn't know where to go."

The meeting was interrupted when a form apparated in the middle of the room. The Order stared on in shock at the black figure that stood before them, all but one. Arthur Weasley stood up immediately and drew his wand on the person standing before him dressed in black robes. Mrs. Weasley gasped and backed away.

"How is this possible? How did one of them get into here?" she cried.

"Calm down everyone. Arthur, put away your wand," Dumbledore said motioning to Mr. Weasley.

"Albus, explain what is going on and why a Death Eater was able to apparate in the middle of a very protected place," Lupin said through clenched teeth.

"He is a guest and holds information I'm sure you want to hear. Especially you, Molly," Dumbledore said looking sternly around the room before turning back to the figure.

"Draco, have a seat."

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**OK that would be the next chapter. I hope that makes some of you a little bit more happy. I know you are all probably getting annoyed with Draco and Ginny not being nice to each other, but I need it to be that way. I hope you guys don't think I'm dragging it. I'm not really sure at this moment how I'm going to finish the story. I have the idea of what is going to happen, I'm just not sure how I want to write it yet, so the next chapter might not be out for a little while. Sorry about that. I hoped you liked this one though!**

**Please review!**

**.:Angelgr185:.**


	14. Unlocking Answers

**Thank you to all those who reviewed!**

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**Lilac: You'll find out more about Draco in this chapter and I wouldn't go as far as to say the Great Angelgrl185. Thanks though!**

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**Karms: He really doesn't turn evil and good in that amount of time. I guess it's really subtle, but this has been occurring for a while now with out it being said out right. This chapter explains it a little bit more so hopefully you'll understand. Thanks for the review!**

**Embellished: I wasn't affronted by your review at all! I was just joking around in my author's note cause I had got a lot of "ahh your evil!" reviews in the last chapter. I know most of you all were joking! Thanks for the review and I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter!**

**Moony's number 1: Sorry it took so long, but here it is! Thanks for the review!**

**Nytel: I'm glad you liked the description! I don't know if it has ever really been described before so I just put my own perspective on it. "Draco continued until he reached the end of the property of Hogwarts and in the blink of an eye, apparated." Ch. 12. Draco wasn't on Hogwarts grounds anymore when he apparated. Thanks for the review!**

**Paige2310: Thanks for the review! Yeah Ginny and Draco argue a lot, maybe too much in this, but this chappie will settle it!**

**Allychik6: You have to read the rest to find out!**

**ExtremeDancer: Hahaha! Thanks for the review!**

**SilvinArrow: "Oh well, once Draco gets her out and thouroughly snoggs her she will be much better" Hahhaa, that made me laugh! Thanks for the review!**

**Crooning Waterfall: Some of your ideas were on the money, but of course I can't tell you which ones! Thanks for the compliments and review!**

**PsYcHiC SeLiNa: Sorry bout the cliffie! Thanks for the review!**

**Lady Godiva: Oh Harry will definitely not be saving Ginny. Sorry it took so long for the update, but Draco and Ginny have a moment here! Thanks for the review!**

**Pure Rose: I failed you…I didn't update soon, but I'm happy to hear you like my portrayal of Draco! **

**bowling4souproxmysox: Point of no return…good song from Phantom of the Opera and the Revenge of the Sith totally rocked. Never fear, Draco will not be evil to the point of no return! Thanks for the review!**

**FuckMeImIrish: Thanks for the review! Draco isn't all that bad!**

**Gothic-hands: Thanks! Thank you for the review!**

**Mercutio's Heir: You are right about the Gracin thing. Actually I had it right, but then I changed it because for some reason I forgot that she wasn't Weasley and I thought I had it wrong with Gracin so I changed it to Weasley. Eh, I can be so dumb. Yeah I have the spelling wrong in the beginning chapters. Also of hermione's name as well. I just haven't had the time to rework the chapters and fix it. I'm too lazy….that could be it. Thanks for the review!**

**Beauty Eclipsed: A new reader! I'm excited! Welcome to the creative domain of my mind combined with JK Rowling's! Thanks for the review!**

**Arianna: Thanks for the review! Hugs always appreciated!**

**Frances: Hahaha, not too much I hope! Maybe this chapter will make you hate me less…**

**Lady lorethei: I really didn't want to do the whole clichéd happy sappy romance ball thing so I thought I'd make it a little bit more interesting. Glad you liked it! Thanks for the review! Oh and you'll find about Draco the Death Eater in this chapter!**

**Garnet Til Alexandros XIII: Thanks for the review! I know you keep saying I'm dragging it, but I don't believe I am. Everything that I have written has been planned out since I started writing chapter one and it is all important to later events. Maybe it seems tedious to you, but I like my chapters to be around 4,000 words and I like to explain events thoroughly and accurately to transition the story better. Glad you like it though. Oh and Draco isn't so bad, maybe this chapter will help that. (I put spaces in your name)**

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Friends Close, Enemies Closer

**.:Angelgrl185:.**

_((I don't own the Harry Potter Series of any of its components))_

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Chapter Fourteen: Unlocking Answers

_Two Days Until Winter Solstice_

** Morning**

Ginny drummed her fingers endlessly against the stone floor of her prison. It was wet and cold against her fingertips, but it was the only means of entertainment. Her first idea was to count the stones like any good prisoner would, but she found it to be too dark in her cell to even distinguish air from wall. Ginny sighed and leaned back against the cold surface of the wall and closed her eyes. It felt like hours, days since she was first put in here, but she knew it couldn't have been that long. The winter solstice was looming near and Voldemort would have moved her to Greece by now if that much time had passed. Her conversation with Harry was the only bright spot in the midst of her darkness, but she didn't dare try it again. Voldemort would detect it to be sure.

The tireless dripping of water grinded her nerves and refused to let her body sleep. Ginny's body felt fatigued, but her mind was racing. Different ways to break out flitted in and out of her mind constantly, but they were all impossible. The Death Eaters, well Draco, had taken away her wand leaving Ginny defenseless and stuck in her dismal prison.

A slight beam of light casting on her face caused Ginny to open her eyes. She quickly located the window and found that it was dawn. Pulling herself off of the ground, Ginny ran to the window and grabbed the metal bars locking her in. It was beautiful. The orange sun was just peeking up over the horizon surround by fluid shades of yellow, pink and purple. Ginny felt a tear trace down her face as she looked at the beauty that was taken from her when she was locked up. She backed away from the window to her corner and slid to the floor in defeat. Was she ever going to get out of here?

As she sat there in silence an idea floated in her mind immediately making her blanch. Ginny cast it aside in order to find a different plan, but no other came. She knew this was the only way. Ginny shivered in anticipation of what she was about to do. Pushing herself off of the floor, Ginny walked slowly over to the metal door that barred her escape. She hoped that whoever was guarding her was just a little daft and not a Malfoy. Ginny pressed her head to the door and peered out of the little slot.

"Hello?" she called out in a soft timid voice.

"What do you want, girl?" came a low growl.

"I'm hungry," Ginny replied. "You don't want me to die of starvation now do you?"

"Quit complaining. Ye won't starve." Ginny swallowed hard and closed her eyes before speaking her next words.

"I'll make it worth your while," she whispered in a husky a voice as she could manage. Silence ensued as the Death Eater appeared to be processing her words.

"I'll be back," he said. "Don't go anywhere. Oh wait, you can't!" his cackle echoed down the hallway as he walked away from her prison. Ginny leaned against the door. The Death Eater had left, but was he getting her food or alerting someone?

The next few minutes went by torturously for Ginny who could do nothing but sit there and wait. After what seemed like eternity, she heard a gruff voice cancel out the hexes placed upon the door. A large figure entered the room with a tray of food. Ginny reached out for the tray, but the Death Eater pulled it away from her grasp.

"Not until you earn it," he said before setting the tray down by the door. Ginny nodded and closed the gap between them trying to ignore the anxiety that was building up in her stomach. When she reached the Death Eater she slowly pushed back the hood to reveal a cold pair of dark brown eyes. Trying to contain her shock, Ginny stared at who was revealed. Vincent Crabbe. Crabbe grunted impatiently as he waited for Ginny to begin. Gulping, Ginny tried not to look disgusted as she trailed her fingers down his beefy face to his chest.

Placing her hands firmly on his chest, Ginny pushed Crabbe down to the floor and sat on his groin straddling him. She tried not to throw up as she became aware of his aroused state. Pretending to feel up his bulky body, Ginny secretly trailed a finger along the inside of his large robes. When her pinky connected with a smooth piece of wood a ghost of a smile flitted across her face.

Ginny repositioned herself as she trailed her free hand down Crabbe's stomach towards his groin while her other hand grasped the wand gently, but firmly. Her right knee was in between his legs and the other resting on his left side. Ginny looked at Crabbe's face before lowing her head as her fingers reached his buckle. He was watching her hungrily. Ginny smiled wickedly at him before bringing up her right knee forcefully hitting him hard in the groin.

Crabbe's eyes seemed to bug out of his head as his face contorted in pain. Ginny smoothly pulled out his wand before standing up and kicking him hard in the stomach. Crabbe groaned and sat up placing an arm across his stomach. The other was cupping his tender groin. Ginny raised the wand and pointed it at him.

"_Stupefy!_" she said strongly stunning the Slytherin Death Eater. Ginny took a deep breath and tried to stop herself from shaking. She pulled off Crabbe's black robes and quickly discarded her costume. Wearing such a huge dress would only hinder her escape. Ginny threw the robe on over a white slip and petticoats. To her dismay her body seemed to drown in black silk. Using a shrinking charm to make the robe fit, Ginny then levitated Crabbe's body over to her dark corner and placed her dress on top of him. Ginny slipped the black hood over her hair and pulled open the door. After locking it, she cautiously ran down the hallway into the darkness of the dungeon.

* * *

Draco felt just a tad bit uncomfortable with a dozen stony gazes glaring in his direction. The fact that Dumbledore appeared quite relieved at his presence was the only thing keeping him in the room.

"Albus, what is the meaning of this?" Remus said looking toward the seasoned wizard.

"How'd he get in here?" Molly asked incredulously. "Only Order members can apparate into Grimmauld Place." Draco felt Mrs. Weasley's heated gaze from across the room. A smile threatened to tug on his face. She reminded him so much of Ginny when she was angry.

"If only members of the Order can get into Grimmauld Place, then-" Dumbledore began leading her train of thought.

"Draco Malfoy is in the Order?" Molly finished looking at him in disbelief.

"Yes," he answered firmly.

"How did this happen?" Arthur asked with a mix of anger and curiosity.

"It has long been known to me that Draco did not wish to follow in his father's footsteps. I recruited him to act as a spy for our Order which he has accepted." All eyes turned to Draco warily and a few of them grumbled.

"Now, I believe Draco has some information you would all like to hear," Dumbledore said before turning his attention to Draco. Draco cleared his throat before he began speaking.

"I'm sure you are wondering what happened to Ginny Weasley," he began looking pointedly at her parents. "She is being held by the Death Eaters and taken by Voldemort's command. She is alive and hasn't been touched."

"How can we know for sure that you are telling us the truth?" Molly asked looking at Draco with distrust in her eyes. Draco clenched his teeth and fished in his robes.

"Here, her wand," he said holding it up in the air. "I am the one who disarmed her when she reached our gathering."

"Where exactly is she being held?" Tonks asked eagerly.

"Malfoy Manor," Draco replied. "But don't even think about attempting to rescue her from there. My father has the place heavily hexed. Even Aurors wouldn't dare to venture onto our property."

"He's right," Snape affirmed nodding his greasy head.

"We can't rescue her anyways," Dumbledore said. Molly turned to him in surprise.

"For heaven's sake why not, Albus?" she asked.

"I'm afraid we need Voldemort to lead us to the location of the Masamune and in order to do that he needs Harry to be present. Taking Ginny was his means to get to Harry so he needs her. If Ginny stays, as long as she isn't harmed, then we can get to this weapon and destroy it before Voldemort can use it."

"No! You can't do that to Ginny!" Mrs. Weasley protested loudly.

"I'm sorry Molly, but this is the only way," he said apologetically. Molly Weasley looked over frantically to her husband who just bowed his head and lowered his gaze.

"She better not be harmed," Molly said glaring at Draco. Draco returned her stare evenly.

"Is there any other information you can offer us, Draco?" Dumbledore asked turning to the young man.

"No, Sir. Voldemort has not revealed the exact location of the sword yet. We just know that it is located in Greece."

"I need proof that Ginny is alright," Molly spoke up. Draco turned to her.

"I showed you her wand."

"Yes, that means you have her, but I want to know she's ok," Molly pleaded softly. Her brown eyes reflected the love and concern she had for her daughter. Draco pulled out the wand again.

"Every wizard is connected to his or her wand with a life bond," he explained as he held it up. "That is how they can more powerful magic with their own wand as opposed to someone else's. There is a way to locate a person through their wand, but it is not normally used because when a person is lost their wand is usually near them."

"Can you do this? Please" Molly whispered. Draco nodded before saying the spell. A small vision appeared in front of the Order and inside was Ginny dressed in the robes of a Death Eater. Her hood was down and she was facing another Death Eater in a duel.

"Ginny!" Mrs. Weasley screamed as she watched her daughter dodge an attack. Draco's eyes grew wide when he saw what was happening and he immediately disapparated out of the room taking the wand with him.

* * *

Ginny slipped down the hallway of the dungeon her heart beating erratically. Her feet barely made a sound as they traveled lightly across the floor. A dripping of water echoed in the stony passageway that was dimly lit by torches spread through out the hall. The faint sound of footsteps reached her ears causing her stomach to turn. She had hoped to escape unnoticed. Ginny steeled herself as the footsteps neared and a Death Eater appeared around the corner.

"Crabbe, what are you doing away from your post?" the Death Eater scolded. Ginny didn't reply but fingered her wand.

"Wait a minute, your not Crabbe!" Ginny whisked out her wand and pointed it at the Death Eater.

"_Stupefy_!" she yelled knocking the Death Eater back against the wall. With that, Ginny picked up the bottom of her newly acquired robes and ran down the hallway. When she took a turn she smacked into another Death Eater and fell back in surprise. The Death Eater looked just as taken aback before he attacked. Ginny fell to the floor narrowly missing the attack aimed at her before firing one of her own back at him. It missed. Ginny looked up from the floor at the Death Eater who was now a few feet from her with his wand raised and eyes glinting evilly. A brief flash of light blinded them both for a moment before revealing another Death Eater standing before her. Draco Malfoy.

"I'm sorry, Ginny," Draco said under his breath before raising his wand.

"_Stupefy_." Ginny's body convulsed with the hit and fell back against the stone floor limp. Draco moved swiftly towards her and picked her up in his arms. The Death Eater behind him followed him back down the passageway to her prison. Draco unlocked the door and entered it. He had to hold back the snicker that was threatening to break loose at the sight of Crabbe.

"I've got it from here, Nott." Draco said after dumping Ginny's body roughly on to the floor. "You take Crabbe and Donovan back to the main floor and get them taken care of. I'll take Donovan's shift and watch her." The Death Eater nodded before levitating Crabbe and walking out of the room. Draco locked the door behind him and turned to face Ginny who was just beginning to regain consciousness.

Ginny opened her eyes and grimaced at the pain that erupted in her skull. Lifting her eyes up she discovered gray ones watching her.

"You," she said scooting a few feet back.

"I'm not going to hurt you, Ginny," Draco said coming a little bit closer.

"Stay away from me!" Ginny ordered as she backed up against the wall. Draco sighed and moved no further.

"Ginny, it's not what you think. I'm not a Death Eater."

"Oh really? You are wearing a black Death Eater robe," she pointed out. Draco raised an eyebrow and smirked.

"So are you."

Ginny did not look amused.

"You stunned me," she accused.

"Ginny, please let me explain," Draco said looking at her. Ginny stared at him hard. "Please, Ginny." After a moment she nodded. Draco stared at her becoming moving up next to her and sitting down. Ginny shied away a few spaces.

"My father, Lucius Malfoy, raised me to hate. He is a cruel man who considered me to be weak and did everything in his power to make a dark wizard out of me. If it weren't for my mother then I would be one. My mother loved my father once, but as he became more consumed by the Dark Magic and the Dark Lord, the more twisted he became. She lived every day of her life in fear of my father. She still loved him, but wasn't allowed to show him so I was the only one she had left. My mother was the only right spot in my life."

"What happened to her?" Ginny asked. "Where is she now?"

"He killed her," Draco said his voice filled with malice.

**FLASHBACK**

"You failed again," Lucius said in disgust. His silver eyes glinted coldly at Draco who remained motionless his face void of emotion.

Draco had been lounging in one of the black leather armchairs in front of the great stone hearth when his father barged into the room in fury. His mother looked up from her magazine when her husband entered the library and cowered in her chair at his presence.

"What have I done now, father?" Draco drawled with disinterest.

"Don't patronize me, boy," Lucius threatened his eyes flashing angrily. "You are weak and pathetic; a complete disgrace to the Malfoy name. I promised Lord Voldemort a strong dark wizard, but all I have is an arrogant pretty boy who can't even do better than a worthless Mudblood in school."

Draco raised an eyebrow. "You're mad at me because Granger got higher marks then I did?"

"That Mudblood," Lucius spat, "isn't the only one. You only did well in Potions and that is because Severus is the Potions Master. Not only that, but you lose every Quidditch game to that Potter fool."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Draco questioned beginning to get annoyed with his father.

"It shows that you are a disgrace to the name. If you weren't my only child and promised to the Dark Lord, you would have been killed years ago." Draco felt his silver eyes narrow as his anger began to build.

"Lucius," his mother cut in softly. "Don't say that to our son."

"Stay out of this, Narcissa," Lucius said angrily. "He will not be my son until he is worthy of it."

"Don't talk to her that way," Draco hissed rising out of his chair. His head was pounding in anger. Lucius turned slowly from his wife and faced his son.

"I've had enough of your arrogance, boy," he growled. "You need to be put into your place." Pulling out his wand he aimed it at Draco.

"No!" Narcissa screamed running across the room.

"_Crucio_!" Draco's mother pushed him out of the way and the powerful curse struck her instead. Narcissa fell to the floor scream and withering in pain. Draco stared horrified at the scene before him.

"Stop it!" Draco yelled at his father whose face was contorted into an evil smile. When his father didn't release his mother, Draco pulled out his own wand and pointed it at Lucius.

"_Stupefy_!" he yelled all of his rage filtering into the spell. The spell hit his father knocking him flat to the floor stunned for a moment.

Draco ran to his mother's fallen side and knelt beside her. Her skin was clammy and deathly white when he picked her up. Her body felt limp and lifeless cradled in his arms.

"Mother?" he whispered fearfully. Narcissa's eyes fluttered open weakly and she managed a small smile at her son.

"I-I'm sorry, Draco," she gasped as he clasped her hand in his. It felt cold. "I'm sorry I couldn't stop him," she said weakly. Draco watched as his mother struggled to breathe. She had been sickly for years now and the curse had deeply hurt her.

"Shush, it's ok, mother," Draco said softly.

"I-I love y-you, Draco," she whispered softly before closing her eyes and falling back limply in his arms.

"Mother, no!" Draco yelled as he watched her breathing still. He felt the unfamiliar prick of hot tears in his eyes. He looked up enraged at his father who was beginning to get up.

"You killed her," Draco said venomously. Lucius looked briefly at his dead wife then turned back to his son.

"Are those tears, Draco?" he sneered. "You really are weak." In a few quick strides Lucius crossed the room and grabbed Draco around the neck hauling him to his feet. His fingers tightened around his neck while Draco struggled to breath. Lucius threw him back against the ground.

"You are angry," Lucius observed. "I can feel it radiating off of you. I can see it in your eyes. You're mad that Narcissa died. She was a waste of good looks. Completely useless to me." Draco clenched his fists.

"You want to hurt me," Lucius taunted him. "Go ahead." Lucius challenged his son. Draco didn't need to be told twice. He whipped up his wand.

"_Crucio_!" he yelled. Lucius seemed shocked that his son dared to attack him again. He thought Draco would back down like the weakling he was. The pain flooded him, but it wasn't something Lucius hadn't felt before. He had endured this torture in the early days when the Dark Lord wasn't happy with him. The attack brought him slowly to his knees before Draco stopped. Lucius rose to his feet his silver eyes gleaming.

"Good, Draco, good. That was very powerful." Draco looked taken aback by his father's response.

"There's hope for you yet," his father mused. "Now get rid of this mess. I don't want it smelling up my house." Lucius left the library with Draco staring blankly confused and lost in his wake.

**END FLASHBACK**

"I hated my father at that moment more than I ever had in my entire life," Draco said hate threading his words. Ginny watched the young man before her and her heart broke for him as he told his story and she moved a little bit closer.

"That day I vowed that I would never be like my father, but I also vowed that he wouldn't get the best of me anymore. My hate drove me to excel in my classes and magic. My father thought I was beginning to become the son he had always wanted."

"Why are you a Death Eater then?" Ginny asked.

"I told you I'm not a Death Eater, Ginny." Draco said exasperated. "Only in appearance. Dumbledore came to me a few months back asking that I work for the Order as a spy. I didn't accept right away because I thought if I joined them I would eventually become one."

"What changed your mind?"

"When I found out about the whole Angelina thing I felt betrayed and deceived. I was so angry that I had let my guard down. Ever since my mom died I had built up these walls to keep it from happening again and I didn't know what to do. I owled my father telling him of my decision to join them and I sent one to Dumbledore as well. I got the mark a few days later, but it wasn't until tonight that I really joined to begin my service."

"Why tonight?" Ginny asked. Draco's face grew stony.

"I saw you and Tristan together."

"You were jealous?" Ginny said in shock. Draco didn't answer.

"Draco, there is nothing between Tristan, and me" Ginny protested. "Yeah he kissed me, but I only thought of you." Ginny looked down at her hands.

"I'm sorry I was accusing you of being a Death Eater and for deceiving you, but that really was the only way!"

"I know, I guess I've been acting stupid," Draco admitted.

"We both have," Ginny replied. Draco gave her a small smile. They stared at each other in silence until Draco grabbed Ginny's arm and pulled her to him. She closed her eyes and rested her head against his shoulders as he wrapped his arms around her. They held each other seeking comfort in these confusing and dark times.

* * *

The sun had risen in the sky bringing a small amount of light into Ginny's dark cell. Draco had left hours earlier to prevent anyone from getting suspicious, but he had left Ginny with the hope and security of knowing she wasn't alone. The sound of heavy metal grinding against stone alerted Ginny's attention that she had a visitor. Ginny's face lit with a smile in anticipation of Draco, but it was immediately doused when the Death Eater who had brought her here entered. His cold gray eyes held no humor, only coldness. He walked swiftly towards her and grabbed her arm roughly hauling her to her feet. Ginny gave a cry of protest and tried to wrench her arm from his bruising grasp. Avery glared at the red head before dragging her out of the room.

Moments later, Ginny found herself not in the field she was first brought to, but a large library. Her mind recognized it from the story Draco had told of his past. She immediately shivered as chills ran down her back at the thought that someone had died in the very room she was in. Lord Voldemort was seated comfortably in one of the chairs as house elves cowered around him waiting for his next demand. His scarlet eyes pieced hers as he turned his gaze upon her. Ginny withered in Avery's grasp as Voldemort studied her.

"Miss Weasley, I hope you were comfortable down there," Voldemort said silkily his eyes looking amused. Ginny jutted out her jaw defiantly and looked steely at him.

"No reply? No thank you to your host? Tsk, tsk, Miss Weasley. You need to learn to be more polite." Voldemort motioned to the chair across from him.

"Do sit down." Avery pushed Ginny over to the chair and forced her to sit.

"What do you want?" Ginny hissed narrowing her eyes.

"Not much really," Voldemort said smoothly. "I just wanted to give you a chance at great power. Join us and you will be greatly rewarded."

"I would never join you!" Ginny growled. "I would just as soon be dead.

"That can be arranged," Voldemort replied coolly. "Don't worry, you'll be dead soon enough. After you help me get the Masamune, I will no longer require your services."

"There is no way I would help you." Ginny spat angrily.

"Don't be to sure of that, Miss Weasley," Voldemort scolded her.

'You are helping us more than you know.'

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Finally the next chapter! Not much action, but more background story and development of the characters. Oh! Please tell me if the scene about Draco and his mother's death was a little too much and a too OOC cause I'll go back and change it to make it better. There are only two days left till the Solstice and that's when the main action occurs. I'll try and make the next chapter a little bit more interesting. I hope you liked it none the less! PLEASE REVIEW!

.:Angelgrl185:.


	15. Rilanthia: Kingdom of the Gods

Friends Close, Enemies Closer

**.:Angelgrl185:.**

_((I don't own the Harry Potter Series of any of its components))_

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Chapter Fifteen: Rilanthia: Kingdom of the Gods

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_Two Days Until Winter Solstice_

**Afternoon**

"You're helping me more than you know," Voldemort's cold voice hissed as it slithered in her ears. Ginny felt her body freeze as her mind processed the words. She looked up slowly, her green eyes coming to rest upon Voldemort. His slit scarlet eyes seemed to glow and his thin, bloodless lips were pulled back in an evil sneer. A knowing look rested on his face as if he had seen the future and knew the events that would occur. Dread began to seep into Ginny's body as the possibility that she may have done something to betray those who she loved hit her hard. Her mind frantically dug into her memories trying to find a moment in which she had done something or said something that would've helped Voldemort in his quest for power. Nothing came to her.

Voldemort just stared at her with his knowing smile as chills ran down her spine. He motioned at a Death Eater with his hands and signaled for him to take Ginny away. The Death Eater pulled Ginny roughly off of the chair and shoved her towards the door. Ginny was too tired to put up a fight and Voldemort's words kept haunting her mind.

She stumbled down the hallway ahead of the Death Eater who was escorting her to her prison. She obediently followed his commands and didn't struggle. Ginny didn't want to give the Death Eater any reason to touch her with his slimy hands. She entered her personal dungeon silently and sat down in her usual dark corner when the sun's rays did not touch. Wariness fell over her as she settled down against the familiar stone and felt her eyelids drift shut. Her rhythmic breathing filled the dungeon as she fell asleep.

Ginny smiled happily as the sunlight hit her face. She raced across the plains outside of her house as the cool breeze whipped through her wavy amber locks and caressed her face like a lover. The smells of the wildflowers drifted into her nostrils causing her to inhale their delicious scents deeply. A shout to her right caught her attention causing her to turn to find the source. Ginny turned her head and spotted her parents waving at her to come inside. Ginny's smile widened and she changed her course heading towards her home, The Burrow. As she neared, the smiling faces of her parents changed quickly to horror and fear. A deep voice rumbled in her ears and a flash of light flew past her before consuming her parents in a great blast of fire. The fire was white hot as Ginny screamed and ran towards the burning inferno. Orange and blue flames licked the bodies of her parents and the putrid smell of burning flesh infiltrated her senses causing Ginny to gag. Tears streamed down her face as she watch the bodies blacken and fade to ash before blowing away in the cool breeze that had just moments before filled her with peace. Their screams of pain echoed in her ears long after the raging fire had died down. Ginny shut her eyes tightly trying to block out the image as she prayed that when they opened this would be gone.

Slowly the smells around her changed and she no longer caught the nauseating scent of scorched skin mixed with the delicate smell of wildflowers. Ginny peeked open her eyes and found that the sun was completely gone and in its place was a pale moon beaming at her through bars. Ginny sighed in relief as she recognized her prison and moved away from the window turning her attention to the other side of the dungeon. A brief scream erupted from her jaw as the sight before her. All six of her brothers were chained to the cold dungeon walls. Piles of blood stained hay lay below them as blood ran along their arms and legs from the deep cuts their chains were creating.

Ginny trembled as she walked closer to her brothers, her hand reaching out towards them. Stopping at Bill she gently grazed her fingers across his arm and a whimper escaped from her as she felt how cold his skin felt beneath her fingertips. His head rolled on his neck and dull, lifeless brown eyes stared back at her when his grayish tinted face turned to hers. Ginny scrambled away from Bill, her hands covering her mouth in shock. She looked down the line of her brothers, all strung up and hanging limply against their thick steel chains. A gasp of pain caught her ears and Ginny flew to the one who managed to choke out a breath. She fell down on her knees in front of Percy who lifted his head and peered at her from narrow eyes, his face contorted in pain. Tears streamed down her face as she looked up at him.

"Percy," Ginny whispered softly, her voice full of sorrow. His neck muscles strained as he used his last ounce of strength to look back at her.

"Go to hell, Ginny," he spat out, thick phlegm flying from his lips. "This is your fault." Ginny's eyes widened in shock and disbelief. She shook her head rapidly in denial.

"No, no!" she fell back against the floor and crawled back away from him shaking her head. Percy gave her one last glare of hatred before his head fell limply against his chest.

"NO!" Ginny screamed. She was shaking now and curled herself in a little ball as her body racked with sobs. The pain was so great she couldn't bare it. Ginny gasped for breath. She felt as if a ton of bricks were lying on her chest. Her parents were dead. Her brothers were dead.

They blamed her.

"Why me?" she whispered, squeezing her eyes tight as she tried to block out the images.

"_You're helping me more than you know,"_ a lone voice hissed in her ears.

Ginny felt something breathing down her neck making the hair on the back of it rise. Crying out she flung her hands out to fend off the person. Her hands hit a solid chest and she immediately began to beat against it when hands grabbed her. Struggling to free herself, Ginny found herself facing a pair of glowing scarlet eyes as sharp fingernails dug into her sides.

"NO!" she screamed, once more and closed her eyes to block out the intense gaze burning into hers.

"Ginny," the voice was smooth and seeped into her ears.

"Let me go!" Ginny yelled, starting to kick.

"Ginny, wake up!" the voice demanded. Arms wound themselves around her body binding her to the firm chest she was beating upon. No longer able to move, Ginny whimpered.

"I'm not going to hurt you, Ginny," the voice said, soothingly. "It's okay."

Ginny was puzzled. The voice was so familiar and it brought warm surges of feelings through her instead of the cold chills she was feeling moments before. Opening her eyes, Ginny found soft gray eyes instead of the burning scarlet ones she had just seen.

"Draco?" she whispered, in disbelief.

"It's okay, Ginny," Draco repeated, as he traced his hand over her face and then smoothed back her wild hair. "You had a bad dream."

"Their dead!" Ginny said, sitting up rapidly and looking around lost.

"Who is dead?" Draco questioned her.

"My family," Ginny whispered. "I killed them. They're dead because of me."

Draco looked at her a moment before pulling her back into his arms and cradling her shuddering body. "Your family isn't dead, Ginny. You were just dreaming."

"I saw them!" she protested, tears slipping down her face as the horrifying images burned in her mind. "My parents burned."

"A dream, Ginny, nothing more," Draco said, firmly pulling away to stare into her glazed eyes. "Voldemort is trying to torture you. He's having fun at your expense."

"How?" Ginny asked weakly. She looked around the room and saw that the sun was still shining through the barred window, not the moon.

"Your mind is weak," Draco explained. "He can easily penetrate it and plant nightmares in your head."

"He told me I was helping him even though I wouldn't know how," Ginny said, before burying her head in his chest.

"Voldemort is trying to scare you. You haven't helped him. Not yet, and you won't either."

"Draco, I'm so scared," Ginny admitted.

"I know, Ginny, I know." He tightened his hold on her and pressed a light kiss on the top of her head. "Come now, Ginny. We have to leave."

"Why?" Ginny asked, pulling her head away from him. "Where are we going?"

"Greece," Draco said, as he pulled her to her feet. "It's time."

"How are we going to get there?"

"Apparate."

"You can apparate to Greece?" Ginny said, in shock. "But it's so far away!"

"Voldemort made some kind of medallion that powers up our apparation," Draco explained, pulling a silver chain out from beneath his black robes. "It enables us to apparate at great distances, but it also makes us very weary." Ginny placed her fingers over the cold chain and ran them along the bright emerald that was planted in the center. Draco smiled at her enchantment with the jewel. He placed his arms around her and squeezed her reassuringly before with a loud pop they were gone.

* * *

Ginny and Draco found themselves in the middle of a bustling market. Pure white sand littered the ground as camels and carts moved past them. People chattered merrily as vendors called to them in the streets trying to get people to buy their delicious fruits or sparkling jewelry. Draco removed his arms from Ginny opting to grab her arm roughly and jerking her away from the middle of the street as a camel drawn cart sped past them. Ginny shot Draco a grateful before brushing off sand that had been kicked upon her.

"Draco, why did we apparate in the middle of a muggle market?" Ginny asked him.

"This isn't a muggle market," Draco said, simply. "We're in Xanthi which is one of the few Wizarding communities in Greece."

"Is this where the sword is?" Ginny asked, skeptically as she looked around.

Draco chuckled. "No. We cannot apparate to the island Thasos. The cavern where the Masamune rests is in the middle of a desert called Έδαφος των νεκρών, which means, "Land of the Dead" in Greek."

"Land of the Dead doesn't sound too inviting," Ginny said, sourly.

"It means dead from magic," Draco explained. "But I'm sure many have died trying to find the Masamune so I guess the other kind of death makes sense too."

"So how are we going to get there then?" Ginny asked.

"First we have to ride across the desert here on camels until we reach the Aegean Sea. We'll buy some ships and then sail with our camels to the island Thasos and travel across the desert until we find the place where the cavern is."

"You're going to _buy_ camels?" Ginny asked, sarcastically. Draco ignored her and glared at her so intensely that Ginny backed away in fear.

"Draco," a steely voice spoke. Ginny looked away from Draco to find his father standing next to them.

"Yes, Father?" Draco asked, peeling his gaze away from Ginny and looking seriously at Lucius.

"What is going on? Why haven't you gotten your supplies?"

"This pathetic waste of life," Draco spat out, glaring at Ginny once again. "Was giving me trouble." Lucius nodded.

"Yes, she may be a Weasley, but she does have some spirit," he said, looking at her red hair. "Tie her up and then get the supplies."

"Yes, Sir," Draco said, compliantly. He pulled out his wand and summoned a long rope. With Lucius watching he had no choice but to tie Ginny up tightly so that the rope dug into her flesh. Draco secured the rope against a pole used to tie up camels.

"How fitting," Lucius sneered. A camel moved its head and sniffed Ginny's hair then began to nibble on it after a moment. Ginny gasped and yanked her head out of the camel's reach. Lucius' sneer grew and even Draco had a smirk appearing on his face. Lucius clapped Draco on the back and the two of them walked away disappearing into the crowded market place.

Ginny sighed and drooped against the pole her head falling to her chest. The stupid camel was still trying to eat her hair. The sun shone brightly from its position high in the sky and was beating down relentlessly against her fair skin. If Draco didn't get her out of the sun soon she was going to be a Weasley shish ka bob. Tracing lazy circles in the white sand soon bored her and Ginny lifted up her head to look around for other options. Seeing as how she was tied to a poll, there wasn't any. Ginny sighed again.

"If only Harry were here. Then I would be out of this mess," she thought bitterly to herself. That's when it clicked. She needed to tell Harry where she was! Ginny relaxed her body against the poll and placed her hands lightly at her temples. She felt the familiar warm embrace of the magic surrounding her mind as she weaved her crimson and gold strands in order to open the portal.

"Ginny, stop!" a frantic voice cut into her magic causing it to falter and the gate to slam shut as the golden and crimson strands of magic broke. Ginny opened her eyes in frustrated and glared at Draco who was standing in front of her his arm reached out.

"Draco, you could have killed me!" Ginny hissed angrily. Draco looked startled before he crossed his arms.

"Ginny, what're you doing?" he asked.

"I'm telling Harry where I am so he can get me out of this living hell," Ginny answered, evenly.

"No!" Draco shouted, placing his hands on her shoulders. Ginny stared at him surprised at his reaction. "You can't tell Harry."

"And why not?"

"That's what Voldemort wants you to do," Draco replied. Ginny's eyes narrowed.

"Why would he want me to tell Harry?" Ginny questioned. "That would bring him to me and he'd just defeat Voldemort again like he did the other times."

"Voldemort is counting on you using your Legilimens power to tell Harry where you are," Draco began. "He's already formulated a trap to get Harry here."

"I don't understand why he wants Harry here so badly. He doesn't need Harry all the way over in Greece to kill him."

"Voldemort needs Harry's blood to make him completely immortal. Legend says that when the Masamune slices the blood of ones mortal enemy, the bearer becomes immortal."

"What?" Ginny said, confused. "I don't remember this. It wasn't in my memories."

"Maybe you haven't completed the memory yet," Draco suggested.

"Oh my god, that's how I was supposed to help Voldemort without me knowing," Ginny stared at Draco. "This isn't good. What do I do now? Voldemort is expecting me to contact Harry and I'm sure he'll be monitoring whether or not I try. Since my mind has weakened it wouldn't be too hard for him to monitor it."

"Can he monitor what you say to Harry?" Draco asked.

"No, I can still block that," Ginny answered.

"Good," Draco replied. "Now this is what I want you to do. Contact Harry and tell him that everything is all right. That way Voldemort will think you told Harry the location and Harry won't be able to get here."

"Great idea, Draco, but I'll still be stuck here," Ginny said, bitterly.

"Well at least you're stuck with me," Draco said, with a grin. "You'll have something to look forward too. Sitting with me on a camel for two days. I hear that the rocking motion of camels is very sensuous when two people are together."

"Draco!" Ginny laughed. Draco chuckled with her before composing himself.

"You contact Harry now," he told her. "I have something I have to do."

"What?" she asked.

"I've been spying for the Order and I have to tell them where we are and where we're going," Draco explained.

"You're going to apparate back to England?" Ginny asked, stunned. "You'll be too tired to make it back! You could end up with half your body in god knows where!"

"I have too, Ginny," Draco said, gravely. "It's the only way to make sure Voldemort is stopped. Contact Harry, I'll be back in a little while. You won't miss me." With those words he left.

"Don't be so sure of that," Ginny whispered, staring at the spot where he just stood. Sighing she sank to the desert floor pulling the rope down with her and cradled her head in her knees.

* * *

Harry sighed as he stared up at the old ceiling of Grimmauld Place. His thin frame was draped lazily over a couch as his fingers drummed against the side. He was tired and his eyes kept drooping, but Blaise and Tristan wouldn't stop giggle from the armchair where they were cuddling.

'At least something good came from these events,' Harry thought half amused and half bitter as he watched the two flirt. Ron was trying to teach Hermione how to play wizard's chess. Although she was considered the brightest wizard of her age, Hermione couldn't win the game even if she had all her pieces and Ron just a pawn and a king. Harry sighed again and closed his eyes trying to block out the sounds in the room. He could really use a nap right about now. A weird feeling settled over him, one that he was certain he had felt before. His mind suddenly felt heavy like it was carrying extra weight, but Harry could quite place what it was. That was until he heard a voice speaking softly in his mind.

_"Harry?"_ Ginny's musical voice floated around in his head.

_"Ginny!"_ Harry exclaimed, sitting up abruptly on the couch. All heads turned towards him and his weird behavior. Harry waved them away impatiently. _"Where are you, Ginny? Did you reach the place with the Masamune yet?"_

_"Not yet,"_ she replied. _"Harry, I just wanted to let you know that I'm fine. You don't need to come anymore. Everything is under control and I'll be home soon."_

_"What are you talking about, Ginny?"_ Harry asked confused. _"How can you be fine? Your stuck with a bunch of blood thirsty Death Eaters and no one knows where you are! Not to mention that Voldemort is about to find a sword that can make him invincible."_

_"Harry, please,"_ Ginny pleaded. _"I need you to trust me."_ Harry released a heavy breath and rubbed his temples with his hands.

_"Alright, Gin,"_ he agreed, warily. _"But the first sign of trouble you let me know where you are got it?"_

_"Sure, Harry,"_ Ginny settled. _"Don't worry about me. Draco's here and the Order are coming."_

_"You told the Order where you are?"_ Harry asked, indignantly.

_"Of course, Harry," _Ginny replied. _"They're in charge of bringing Voldemort down. They're grown and experienced wizards. They'll defeat Voldemort and bring me home safely I have to go now though. It's not safe for me to keep the connection long. Voldemort could sense it."_

"_Goodbye, Ginny."_

"_Bye, Harry."_

Harry leaned back against the sofa in silence a thoughtful look adorning his face. Blaise looked at him curiously.

"What's wrong, Harry?"

"It's Ginny," he replied.

"You talked to her?" Blaise said, with a start, pushing away from Tristan.

"Yeah, just now,"

"What did she say?" Blaise asked, impatiently. "Come on, Harry. We all care about her too."

"She told me not to worry about her and that she'd be fine," Harry revealed. "She refused to tell me where she was taken too."

"What!" Ron yelled. "What is she thinking?"

"Apparently the Order has already been informed of her location."

"What are they going to do?" Ron asked, sarcastically. "Barge in with wands blazing and steal Ginny away?"

"No, Ron, they're going to walk up to Voldemort and ask him to tea before politely asking for our darling Ginny back," Blaise retorted, rolling her eyes.

"I don't get it," Tristan spoke up. "Obviously they're going to try and stop Voldemort if they're going to be over there. How are they going to do that when it is supposed to be Harry who kills him?"

"That's exactly what I was wondering," Harry admitted.

"I think we should just let them do their thing," Hermione said. "They're older than us. They know what's best. We don't need to be screwing anything up by getting in the way."

"Aw, come on, Hermione!" Ron groaned. "You heard the prophecy! They need Harry to talk down Voldemort. The Order is going to die and Ginny along with them."

"And Draco," Blaise piped up.

"And Malfoy," Ron added, through clenched teeth.

"How are we supposed to help?" Hermoine challenged. "We don't know anything that is going on."

"We can use those Extendable Ears that Fred and George made," Ron said, excitedly. "I know I have a pair of them hidden around this place somewhere."

"Where are the adults anyway?" Tristan asked, looking around. "I haven't heard them for a while."

"That's true," Hermione agreed. "They must be in a meeting or something."

"This is the perfect opportunity to listen in and see what is going on," Harry decided, his green eyes beginning to brighten in excitement.

"I still think we shouldn't do this," Hermione said, nervously biting her bottom lip.

"Hermione, stop being a baby," Ron said exasperated. "Get some guts, woman!"

"Ronald Weasley, don't you talk to me that way!" Hermoine yelled, slapping Ron upside the head. Ron yelped and rubbed his tender skull while Hermione glowered at him. Blaise chuckled and the two remaining boys cracked smiles.

"Alright, Ron, you go find the Extendable Ears," Harry ordered looking at the redhead. "The rest of us will meet downstairs in the kitchen. Then when it seems clear, we'll use the Extendable Ears to listen in on the conference room." The four nodded their heads in understanding and they left.

* * *

Draco landed heavily on his feet in the middle of the conference room of Grimmauld Place. His legs were weak and shaky beneath him for the energy he used. Throwing out his arms, Draco grabbed a nearby table and leaned all his weight against it. He took a couple of deep breaths and stuffed the amulet back into his robes.

"Draco, are you alright?" Mrs. Weasley's concerned voice filtered into his ears. Draco nodded weakly, but she paid no heed. Motioning with her hands, she ordered Arthur and Remus to help Draco over to an available chair.

"Severus," Mrs. Weasley spoke to the silent man. "Please go see if you can find a regenerating potion for Mr. Malfoy. I say he spent all his energy getting here." Snape nodded and left the room. Draco gratefully accepted the potion when Snape returned and downed it in one gulp. His face blanched and contorted in disgust at the taste of the potion bringing a wry smile to Severus' face.

"Feeling better, Draco?" Albus Dumbledore's smooth voice asked. Draco nodded and cleared his throat.

"Yes, Professor," he replied. Dumbledore smile reassuringly and placed a fatherly hand on his shoulder.

"What news do you have for us?" he asked.

"We've moved Ginny," Draco started. "Right now we're station in Xanthi. We have to travel to the Aegean Sea and cross it by boat until we reach the island of Thasos. Then we're travel across the "Land of the Dead" to find the cavern."

"A dangerous place Thasos is," Lupin commented, thoughtfully.

"What is the Land of the Dead?" Tonks asked, curiously.

"It was once the kingdom of the gods, but is now a desert where no magic exists," Remus answered.

"We have to go there?" Tonks said, incredulously.

"We do," Sirius said. "You don't."

"What?" Tonks screeched. "What do you mean? I'm not going?"

"Tonks, we need you to stay and look after the kids," Albus said, gently.

"Oh yeah, give me the babysitting job," Tonks grumbled. "Why can't Molly do it? She loves kids. She's got her own personal army."

"Molly is going because Ginny is her daughter," Dumbledore replied. "Molly is quite capable and can handle herself. She will be an asset to us. I wouldn't ask her to stay home when it's her daughter whose life is on the line."

"Fine," Tonks agreed, sullenly. "But I still don't like being left behind."

"We should leave tonight, Albus," Sirius said.

"You can't leave until after we do," Draco spoke up.

"True," Albus said thoughtfully.

"I'll owl the Ministry and get us a portkey to Xanthi, Greece," Arthur said.

"Will you have any problems with that?" Lupin asked.

"I shouldn't," Arthur replied. "They trust me. There were some occurrences a couple weeks ago in Greece with some bewitched pillowcases. I'll just tell them that I'm taking a team to follow it up."

"Fine," Dumbledore agreed. "We'll leave when the sun goes down."

"I should be going now, Professor," Draco said standing up.

"Do you think you have enough energy to get back?" Mrs. Weasley asked concerned.

"I should be fine," Draco smiled. "Thank you though. I can see where Ginny gets her compassion from." Mrs. Weasley blushed and mumbled something incoherent before turning away. Draco smiled again and pulled out the amulet. Closing his eyes he tapped into the amulet's power before apparating out of Grimmauld.

* * *

"Did you hear that?" Blaise said in awe looking at the others who were huddled around the Extendable Ears as well.

"Yeah, they're going to a place called the Land of the Dead," Ron said with a gulp.

"Not that!" Blaise rolled her eyes. "Draco's a Death Eater and a spy no less!"

"That's really dangerous," Hermione observed.

"No kidding, Hermione," it was Ron's turn to roll his eyes.

"We have to get to Xanthi," Harry said determinedly.

"And how do you propose that?" Hermoine asked. "None of us can apparate that far. No one can."

"Malfoy did," Harry argued.

"Draco must've had some enchanted item that allowed him to apparate at greater distances," Blaise informed them.

"What about Tonks?" Tristan asked.

"_What_ about Tonks?" Ron questioned him.

"She could help us," Tristan explained.

"_Tonks_?" Ron said with raised eyebrows. "They left her behind for a reason, man."

"Same with us, Ron," Hermione said smugly.

"We could fly there," Blaise suggested.

"Fly to Greece? Are you crazy?"

"I don't see you offering any ideas, Ron!" Blaise said defensively.

"That's because I know when not to say something stupid," Ron retorted. "There are no good ideas."

"Guys, stop it!" Harry ordered. "Tristan's right. Maybe we can use Tonks."

"But how?" Hermione questioned.

"I don't know, maybe trick her or something."

"We could trick her into thinking we went to Greece," Hermione suggested.

"Then when she leaves for Greece on a portkey we grab her and go as well."

"That could work," Harry said thoughtfully, scratching his head.

"It's the only plan we got," Blaise pointed out.

"I thought only the number of people the portkey is designed for can use it?" Tristan asked.

"That's true, but it's a chance we'll have to take," Ron said grimly.

"I'm in," Blaise said putting out her hand.

"Me too," Tristan added placing his hand over Blaise's and squeezing it. Hermione and Ron added theirs as well.

"I guess we're going to Greece," Harry said as he placed his hand in the pile.

"I always wanted to go," Hermione informed them. "Greek mythology is so fascinating. Now I guess I get to see it up close and personal."

"Don't sound so happy about it," Ron groaned. "We could be killed."

"Oh stop being such a baby, Ron," Hermoine said smugly. "Get some guts, man." Ron glared at her while Hermione smiled back haughtily. Harry rolled his eyes at Blaise who giggled.

"From now on we need to work together," Harry said seriously. "After the Order leaves, we'll start the plan."

* * *

Draco stumbled across the desert floor when he landed. The dry desert air wasn't doing anything to help him recover from his jump. He weakly made his way over to where he had left Ginny tied to the pole. She looked up at him, her happiness to see him well shining through her green eyes.

"Draco, are you okay" she asked concerned when he rested a moment beside her. Draco closed his eyes and took in a few deep breaths, coughing when sand entered his lungs.

"I'm fine, Ginny," he coughed, bending over and spitting the sand out of his mouth.

"You don't look fine," she said observing him.

"Leave it alone, Ginny," Draco growled. "I'm back and I'm in one piece."

"You should have warned me that apparating so far would make you grumpy," Ginny grumbled. Draco glared at her before untying her from the pole. He grabbed the end of the rope and pulled her through the thick crowds of people. Ginny stumbled along, the smooth sand making it hard to keep her footing steady. When they reached a caravan of waiting camels, Draco threw her down at the feet of Lord Voldemort.

"She'll be riding with you, Draco," Voldemort said. "I take it you can handle her."

"Yes, milord," Draco said with a bow before jerking Ginny back up to her feet. Ginny scowled at him and Lord Voldemort before following him to a large camel.

"I'm sorry for throwing you around," Draco whispered in her ear when they were out of sight.

"It's okay, Draco," Ginny replied with a sigh. "I know you have to keep up face."

Draco nodded and placed his hands gently around her waist. He stayed like that from a moment before hoisting her up in one motion and setting her on top of the camel. He quickly packed his supplies on the other hump of the camel before mounting the beast himself. Ginny ran her hands along the fur of the animal. It was a thick and coarse fur that stuck up when her fingers ran over it. The camel was light brown and blended in nicely with the desert sand. It's legs were long and stocky seemingly very breakable, but Ginny knew that camels could carry a great deal of weight.

"This is a Bactrian camel," Draco said in her ear. "It has two humps while the Arabian camels like the ones over have only one hump." He pointed to their left where the other Death Eaters were mounting camels. A sharp whistle signaled that the caravan was moving out. Ginny could help but giggle at the thought that the almighty Death Eaters were riding through a desert on a bunch of spitting camels.

"Draco, tell me about the Land of the Dead," Ginny said after a while. The caravan had been traveling for a couple of miles. Ginny and Draco were in the rear and riding in silence. "Do you know anything?"

Draco took a sip of water from his canteen before answering. "The desert in Thasos used to be called Βασίλειο των Θεών. It means "Kingdom of the Gods" in Greek. It was the home of the city of Rilanthia where the palace of the gods dwelt. Back then, when the four gods still roamed the earth, they lived in the Kingdom of the Gods. It used to be beautiful."

"Describe it to me," Ginny said dreamily.

"The buildings were made of the purest white marble and were trimmed in gold. All types of exotic trees and flowers grew around the palace and cities. It was full of life. Music and dancing were in the streets, delicious food was abundant and everyone was happy. The gods were peaceful and led a life of prosperity."

"What happened?" Ginny asked curiously. "Why did it become a barren desert?"

"When the four gods, Jupiter, Neptune, Mars and Uranus, realized that they were becoming too powerful they created the Masamune," Draco explained holding the reins to the camel limply in his hands. "Of course they couldn't let anyone just enter the city and get the Masamune so they cursed the place. Only the strongest would be able to enter the place and get the sword. That way if they were to become corrupt, someone worthy of being the savior could kill them."

"I don't know about you, but I don't' consider Voldemort very worthy of being a savior," Ginny said bitterly.

"That was their one mistake," Draco said. "The gods didn't account for those being strong in evil as well as strong in heart."

"What exactly did the curse do?" Ginny questioned.

"For one it turned the beautiful kingdom of Rilanthia into a desert wasteland."

"Yeah, but how come no magic can be used there?"

"The curse erased every magical essence in the desert. The gods thought that it would be easy for a wizard to just waltz into Rilanthia with his magic and take the sword so they destroyed the magical essence of Rilanthia. Now if a wizard ventures into the "Land of the Dead" and is not strong enough, the absence of magic will drain his life force and the wizard will die."

"Die?" Ginny whispered her face becoming pale. "Draco, what if I'm not strong enough?"

"Don't worry, Ginny," Draco said soothingly in her ear. "You are one of the strongest woman I know."

"What's going on here?" Lucius' sharp voice cut in. Ginny froze in front of Draco who stiffened a little as well. A wry smile drifted over Draco's face.

"I was just telling her all the nice things I'll get to do to her once Voldemort is finished with her," Draco snickered his face contorting into an evil grin. Lucius looked from his son to Ginny whose face was already pale and nodded. He reached out a hand and grabbed a strand of Ginny's red hair and rubbed it between his fingers.

"She'll be a lot of fun for you, Draco," he murmured. "She seems to have a wild side. Maybe I shall have some fun with her as well" Ginny squirmed in front of Draco as Lucius touched her. Draco swallowed hard trying to ignore the sickening feeling invading his stomach.

"The Dark Lord wants everyone to be carefully watching the desert," Lucius added dropping Ginny's locks and turning his steely gray eyes towards his son. "Night has fallen and the creatures of the dark will be roaming the desert now. Have your wand ready." Draco nodded and his father left urging his camel to the head of the line. Ginny whimpered.

"Shush, Ginny," Draco said soothingly. "It's okay, I will never let him hurt you." He wrapped his arms around her waist and Ginny leaned back gratefully into his firm chest. The rocking motion of the camel soon cast a spell over her and Ginny felt her body slowly relax against Draco's, their forms fitting together perfectly. With Draco relaxingly rubbing her arms, Ginny soon fell asleep.

* * *

**Well there's the next chapter. Took a while to write, but I'm lazy. Summer does that to you. Next chapter follows Ginny and Draco's journey into the desert and the ride across the sea. Very dangerous if you ask me. I hope you guys enjoyed it. Please review and let me know!**

**.:Angelgrl185:. **


	16. Sand Raiders

Friends Close, Enemies Closer

**.:Angelgrl185:.**

_((I don't own the Harry Potter Series of any of its components))_

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* * *

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Chapter Sixteen: Sand Raiders

_Two Days Until Winter Solstice_

**Night**

The stars twinkled mysteriously in the gossamer night sky. The events that passed below them were forever ordained to be secrets they could never tell. A long trail of camels traveled below across the vast desert. The animals were content with the weight they carried. They were at home in the arid landscape. The tiny grains of sand trickled harmless off their hooves as their stocky, yet strong legs moved. When heavy winds come and kicked up blizzards of sand, a third filmy eyelid descended upon their irises blocking out the offending particles.

The camels' passengers, however, were not fairing as well. Multiple backsides were stiff and bruised from the bony humps they were uncomfortably resting on. Muscles ached and were tight while bones threatened to crack in the dry heated air. Even with the sun no longer blazing over them, the desert was a thick cloud of humidity overlying the heat encasing the atmosphere. For hours the caravan trudged slowly through the sand. A tantalizing breeze would flutter around them, teasing them with its cool, refreshing air only to disappear in the flit of the eye. The black robes they all were wearing not only efficiently trapped their body heat inside; they also absorbed the heat from the desert. Sweat trickled down the backs of every person, the salty liquid sliding into uncomfortable places until finally someone used their head.

The one thing Ginny was grateful for was that they were not in the Land of the Dead yet and could still use magic. Avery came up with the idea of bewitching their robes with a cooling charm. It was pretty pathetic that none of them had thought of it sooner. They had all suffered hours of torturous conditions only to have it solved in a few seconds. Nonetheless, they were no longer hot, but still uncomfortable in their seats. Ginny didn't mind that much. Being able to take an uncomfortable ride across miles of endless sand was one thing. Withstanding the scorching heat of the desert was another.

It had been a long tiring journey so far. Ginny slept fitfully for a few periods of time. When awake she amused herself by trying to spot desert creatures peering out at them from behind rocks. Their eyes glowed in the night. Draco was currently passed out on her shoulder not that she minded one bit. His firm chest was pressed close to her back and his head resting against the back of her right shoulder. Light silver-blond strands of hair caressed the back of her neck tickling her skin. Draco's mouth was slightly open and the soft rhythmic brush of his warm breath against the skin of her neck sent shivers racing through her body.

When he had first fallen asleep, Ginny briefly entertained the idea of commandeering the reins to their camel and hightailing it out of there as fast as their furry water spitting friend could run. That of course was accompanied by thoughts of her and possibly Draco being hexed into an oblivion. It didn't take long for Ginny to decide that she would stay right where she was. As long as Lucius didn't touch her and Draco's arms were around her, she was perfectly fine — for now.

Ginny gazed ahead of their camel and trailed her eyes along the line of their group. The Death Eaters weren't paying much attention to her and Draco. Being a Malfoy must instill some sort of respect for Draco. They trusted him unquestioningly. Still, Ginny felt a little unnerved that Draco was so intimately holding her behind twenty or so Death Eaters. Sure the fact that his large masculine hands that were softly, yet firmly holding her own made her feel comforted. Okay, so his muscular arms cradled around her body made her feel secure and safe. She wasn't even going to point out the way her body reacted pleasurably whenever he lips brushed up against her neck while he slept because of the camel's motions (very sensual indeed). It was still a bit unsettling.

Carefully, Ginny pulled Draco's wand out from his robe and quickly cast a glamour charm over them. Now, if a Death Eater looked behind them, they would see Ginny agitatedly sitting in front of Draco with her hands bound while Draco smirked and concentrated on steering the camel. It was a neat little trick she had learned from Fred and George two years ago. They used it all the time when they made new products or snuck out of the house to buy supplies for the shop they wanted to start. Sometimes they even used it in class. The spell sort of resembled wizard pictures which move. The only downside to this was that the glamour couldn't talk. Satisfied that the glamour was efficiently in place and working perfectly, Ginny settle back blissfully against Draco and nestled her head in the crook of his left shoulder. Then she closed her eyes and drifted off to another few moments of sleep.

* * *

Arthur Weasley walked in the room as happily as a man could in the situation he was in. Basically he was just relieved. The rest of the Order available looked up at him when his presence was announced by the swinging of the oak door guarding the entrance into the common room.

"I just talked to the Ministry," Mr. Weasley announced, as he took a seat at the table and rested his long lengthy frame in the chair. "They are setting up a port key on my hot wheel."

"Hot wheel?" Sirius repeated, in confusion. "What is a hot wheel?"

"Oh, um, let me show you," Arthur said, sitting up and fumbling around in his coat. "Ah, here it is." He pulled out a small plastic object and held it up in the palm of his hand so everyone could see. "It's a small toy car. A corvette actually, you can tell by the front of the car. See how it is shaped in such an interesting way?"

"Arthur, you had them connect our port key to a little toy?" Mrs. Weasley asked, in disbelief.

"It was the biggest thing I had in my pocket!" Arthur said, defensively.

Mrs. Weasley shook her head exasperated. "You could have used your shoe! How do you expect us all to touch such a tiny object? Really, Arthur, sometimes you just don't think. What are you even doing with a car?"

"Well, it's not _really_ a car," he protested. "It's a just a small model of one that little kids can play with."

"Arthur, you are not a little kid!" Molly reminded him, in frustration. "Now I want you to go back to the fireplace and tell the Ministry to change the port key to your shoe."

"Molly, I'm afraid we don't have time for that," Dumbledore said, kindly cutting into their argument. She harrumphed and gave her husband an annoyed glance before sitting down at the table.

"Arthur, what time is the port key activating?" he asked turning to the red head.

"Eight."

Dumbledore turned to the rest. "Don't worry about bringing anything except your wand. We will buy stuff in Xanthi."

He turned away and walked to the opposite side of the room. Opening a small chest, Dumbledore pulled out a large golden chain. Staring at it laying limply in his hands, he sighed then put it in his robe.

"I thought we weren't supposed to bring anything except our wands," a voice behind him spoke up.

Dumbledore closed his eyes. "There is an exception to everything."

"Do you honestly think we'll need it?" Sirius asked.

"I hope not. There could be dire consequences."

"Why even bring it?" Sirius questioned. "Have you no faith in us?"

"Not even I can predict the future, Sirius," Albus said, solemnly. "It is just a precaution."

"We should get going now," Arthur's voice cut in from behind them. Dumbledore nodded and followed them to the center of the conference room. Molly mumbled something incoherent under her breath as she placed a single finger on the hot wheel. Sirius, Remus, Arthur, Dumbledore, and Kingsley all added their slender limbs to the toy car. At precisely eight-o-clock, a pale blue light surrounded them and within seconds they were gone.

* * *

"Are they gone?" Blaise whispered, moving her head to look over Harry's shoulder. She shuffled too far forward and ran into his back. It was a domino effect. Harry fell against Tristan who knocked Ron into Hermione. She landed flat on her back with Ron sprawled on top of her. Ron's face split into a wide grin as he noted their position. Hermione's face began to flush, but Ron covered it instantly as he swooped down and claimed her lips, the Extendable Ears he had been holding forgotten.

Blaise picked herself up off of the ground and helped Harry and Tristan to their feet. Harry gave her a sour look while he rubbed his newly bruised arm. Blaise threw him a sheepish smile before turning and kicking Ron in the shin. He yelped and scrambled off of Hermione who began blushing again.

"Are they gone?" Blaise asked again, louder this time with her hands on her hip.

"Yes," Ron replied, standing up and helping Hermione.

"Good," Harry said. "Now we'll wait an hour or so before we move."

"Harry," Hermione said softly. "I feel really bad about tricking Tonks. Isn't there another way?"

"There is no other way, Hermione," he replied.

Hermione shuffled her feet. "Maybe we shouldn't go. There's a reason why the Order left us behind. They're more experienced and know more about this than we do. I think we should just let them handle it."

"Are you bonkers, Hermione?" Ron cried out. "They have my sister! They have Ginny and there is no way I'm not going to help her." Blaise nodded her agreement.

"You could endanger her, Ron!" Hermione argued. "She could die! We could die! The Order knows what they are doing. We just have to trust them."

"Voldemort needs to be stopped and I'm the only one who can do it," Harry said, confidently. "We all know. You all don't need to come, but even if you don't go, I still will."

"I'm going with you, mate," Ron said, grimly, placing his hand on Harry's shoulder.

"Me too," Blaise said, coming to stand with them. Tristan looked uncertain for a moment, but in the end he followed Blaise. Hermione watched them with saddened eyes. She stared at them in silence, her logic battling her loyalty. Heaving a heavy sigh of defeat, Hermione moved to stand next to Ron who placed a comforting arm around her shoulders.

"I hope we don't regret this day," she whispered, gravely.

"I would only regret it if Ginny died and we did nothing to save her," Ron said. Hermione nodded and buried her head in his shoulders.

* * *

Ginny and Draco woke late in the night to the smell of blood and the screams of death. Ginny screamed as something whizzed by her, narrowly missing her head. Draco tugged fiercely on her arm and pulled both of them off of the camel. They crashed not too gently to the sand below. They rolled a few feet then stopped with Draco hovering protectively over her, his wand out and raised.

Ginny peered into the darkness searching for the things that had disturbed them. To her left faint beady yellow eyes could be seen glowing in the night.

"What is it?" Ginny whispered. "What is attacking us?"

"They are Sand Raiders," Draco answered. "Nomads of the desert that steal from travelers to survive. They want our camels and supplies and will kill us all to get it."

He looked around the darkness before lighting his wand briefly. Grabbing Ginny, he pulled her to a large sand foundation and muttered a shielding spell.

"Don't move from here," he ordered. "Stay out of sight. I don't know how well the shield will hold up against bullets."

"What about you?" Ginny asked, grabbing his hand.

"Don't leave this spot," Draco said firmly, enunciating each word. He shrugged off Ginny's grip and ran back toward the camel train.

Guns boomed in his ear like claps of thunder. Sand was kicked up all around him as bullets were embedded into the white grains. Draco gasped in pain as one grazed his left shoulder tearing his robe and slicing the skin. He gritted his teeth, ignoring the small blossom of blood soaking into his robe.

"Draco," a wheezing voice captured his attention.

"Lumos," Draco whispered, hiding the lit wand in front of his black robes in order not to draw attention. His steel eyes searched and found a fallen form in the sand a few feet away. He hurried to the form and knelt by it.

"Draco, help me," the weak voice pleaded.

"Are you wounded, Dowell?" Draco asked his fellow Death Eater.

"Ch-chest," Dowell coughed out as crimson blood splattered against his pale lips. Draco opened Dowell's robes and found a bullet lodged near his collarbone and another one above his heart.

"Not good," he muttered. As a wizard he knew how to heal minor wounds inflicted by a wand. A muggle wound was beyond his comprehension. Draco glanced down at Dowell. The man's eyelids were fluttering shut and his breath labored and weakening to a trickle of air.

"I'm sorry, Dowell," Draco said solemnly. He pulled the man's hood over his face as Dowell's body quivered with its last breath.

"Draco, come to your right," a strong voice commanded. Draco followed the sound of Avery's voice and found a group of the remaining Death Eaters.

"Where is the girl?" Lucius asked, when he noticed the Weasley was not with his son.

"I left her behind a dune," Draco replied. "Out of the way, shielded and contained."

Lucius nodded. "Good work."

He turned to Avery. "Do you have a plan to get rid of the Sand Raiders yet? The Dark Lord is impatient to get to the sea."

"Not yet, Lucius," Avery admitted, bowing his head. "We are at a disadvantage. They can see very well in the dark." Draco listened to the exchange in silence, a plan formulating in his head.

"Father, I have an idea," Draco spoke up. Lucius and Avery looked at him skeptically, but Lucius waved an impatient hand for him to continue.

"Line the Death Eaters in two rows. Have everyone cast shielding charms to ensure that it is strong enough to block bullets. The first row will cast light spells to illuminate the area while the back row kills the Sand Raiders."

Lucius and Avery looked at each other. A small smile appeared on Lucius' face as he clapped his son on the back.

"Avery, get the lines ready," he barked. "Draco, I want you in the second line."

Draco nodded and followed Avery to the assembly of black robed men. Taking his place in between McNair and Goyle, he hoped the plan would work. Gripping his wand tightly, Draco waited for the burst of light that would signal him into action. A few moments later, a flood of silver light broke through the darkness illuminating the once hidden forms of the Sand Raiders.

"Avada Kedavra!" Draco shouted, his words mixing in with the dozen other curses shouted. Sand Raiders plummeted to the ground. Some withered in pain while others died instantly. Draco felt a cold sense of satisfaction and a chill of excitement course through his body as the green light of his curse hit his target and kill it instantly.

Bullets rained down upon them, but clattered harmlessly against the shielding spell. The Death Eaters continued to fire curses against the Sand Raiders until the bullet attack ceased. The light of the wands revealed the lifeless bodies of the Sand Raiders. A roar of triumph echoed through the Death Eaters and the shields dropped.

A cold hand clasped tightly upon Draco's shoulder. Turning around, Draco's eyes met piercing scarlet ones. He immediately dropped to his knees in a low bow.

"Master," Draco said, respectively.

"Rise, Draco," Lord Voldemort hissed. His eyes gleamed eerily in the silver light. "You have done well, young Malfoy. You bring honor to your family's name. Lucius should be proud to have such a son."

"Thank you, my Lord," Draco responded, his eyes never leaving the ground.

"You will be greatly rewarded when I come to full power," Voldemort said. "Now, go and collect the girl. We leave shortly. Time is of the essence."

"Yes, my Lord." Draco bowed once more and left to go retrieve Ginny.

* * *

"Are you sure this is the right place?" Mrs. Weasley asked. She plugged her nose and looked around the filthy market place of Xanthi in distain.

"Positive, Molly," Sirius replied, dryly.

"Albus, I'm going to speak to that interesting looking foreign man over there about some camels," Mr. Weasley decided. "How about you and the others find some decent desert clothes."

"A fine idea, Arthur," Dumbledore agreed. "Molly, if you'll please lead the way. I daresay you have a greater talent for such things than I."

Mrs. Weasley smiled at Albus and began to weave through the market crowd expertly as if she had visited it everyday of her life. The look of distain, however, had returned full force.

Molly was a blur of red as she sped all over the market dropping various clothing items in each Order member's hand. Sirius looked skeptically at the thick, beige robe he held in his hand.

"We're supposed to wear this in a desert?" he exclaimed, disbelievingly. "We're gonna die from being overheated. Couldn't you get something lighter, Molly?"

"No, Sirius," Molly admonished him. "This will keep the sun from scorching your skin. We're wizards. We can bewitch the robes to repel the heat."

Sirius mumbled his apologies for doubting Mrs. Weasley's wisdom and accepted all other articles she handed him without protest. Mr. Weasley met up with them a half an hour later touting six spitting camels.

Mrs. Weasley frowned at the beasts. "We're going to ride _those_ things, Arthur?"

"Yes, Molly," Mr. Weasley replied, through gritted teeth.

"Well, couldn't we put them through like a camel wash or something?" she asked. "Maybe bewitch them with an anti smelling charm?"

No, Molly," Mr. Weasley said, firmly. "We don't have time for your girly whims."

"Humph!" Mrs. Weasley snorted, before beginning to pack the camels, one finger pinched delicately over her nose. Mr. Weasley shook his head and began packing his own camel along with the other members of the Order. Kingsley and Lupin mounted their camels and waited patiently for Mr. Weasley to help Molly mount hers. She was having difficulty getting on the insufferable animal especially since she was unwilling to touch the filthy thing. Dumbledore watched in amusement as Arthur pushed on her rather large bum to get her into the seat. Sirius was bored and kept flicking his reins on the camel's head to make it agitated. When they were all finally mounted, they set off into the night toward the desert.

* * *

The kids sat impatiently watching the minutes tick by waiting for the hour for their departure to come. Footsteps echoed on the wooden hallway floor outside the room. Moments later, the golden doorknob turned and the door swung open to admit a young woman into the room. Tonks peered suspiciously at them, her bright pink, slightly spiked hair drawing most of their gazes. She shoved her hands into the pocket of her black leather jacket and leaned against the doorway.

"What are you all doing?" she asked, tilting her head to the side and looking specifically at Ron. He squirmed under her gaze, but remained calm.

"Nothing," he replied. "Just bored."

"Ugh, same!" Tonks groaned. "I can't believe I got stuck babysitting you guys."

"You could let us go," Harry grumbled.

"Why?" Tonks asked. "So you can get yourself killed? No, I think you'll just stay right here where I can see you."

She moved away from the doorway, shut the door and walked over to the couch draping her tiny frame across it.

"What are we going to do, Harry?" Hermione asked, out of the side of her mouth.

Harry glanced at Tonks before replying. "Do you know a sleeping spell?" Hermione nodded. "I want you to use it on Tonks. She'll think she just fell asleep from being too comfy on that couch."

Hermione quietly pulled her wand out of her robe and subtly pointed it at Tonks.

"_Stupefy!_" Hermione whispered. Red sparks shot out of her wand and hit Tonks, stunning her.

"You stunned her?" Harry said in disbelief. "I thought you were just going to put her to sleep!"

"She is asleep, Harry!" Hermione argued. "Well, unconscious anyways. Now let me do the invisibility charm."

Blaise, Tristan and Ron joined the two of them as Hermione prepared to charm them all. Hermione muttered the appropriate charm and soon a cold feeling seeped through their bodies as the invisibility took place.

"_Ennervate_," Hermione whispered, counter acting the stunning hex she had placed on Tonks.

Tonks blinked her eyes to focus them and then sat up abruptly. She glanced wildly around the room her eyes widening in disbelief when she noted its emptiness.

"Not good," she muttered." This is not good."

Tonks jumped off of the couch and ran out of the door cursing under her breath. Harry turned to the rest of the group.

"Now we wait."

* * *

"Draco, you're hurt," Ginny's concerned voice broke out into the night.

"It's not that bad," Draco shrugged. "I'll live."

"It could get infected," Ginny warned. "Let me see it."

"I'll be fine," Draco said, firmly, pushing away her hand.

"Let me see it, Draco," Ginny argued.

"No."

"Draco Malfoy, if you do not let me look at your shoulder so help me god, I will make sure it hurts even more than it does right now," Ginny threatened, her green eyes glinting in anger. Draco sighed angrily and let Ginny move his robes out of the way. A hiss escaped her lips as she took in the amount of blood he lost.

"Draco, your body is going to be weakened greatly by this," Ginny said. "You need a rest."

"Do you honestly think the Dark Lord is going to stop his mission because I lost a little blood?" Draco snapped.

"Don't get an attitude with me, Draco," Ginny said fiercely. "I'm only trying to help."

Draco's features softened. "I know, I know. I'm sorry. I'm just a little on edge right now. Fix it up so it won't bleed anymore for me?"

Ginny nodded and began ripping parts of her robe. She dipped the strips into their canteen and washed away the blood coating the wound. Then she wrapped dry pieces of clothe tightly around his shoulder halting the bleeding.

"You really should rest that shoulder," she advised when she was done.

"I'll be able too when we reach the boats," Draco answered.

"When will that be?" Ginny asked.

"Now."

Ginny followed his gaze to the front of the caravan and squinted in order to see something in the darkness. Lights blazed softly up ahead illuminating a couple small buildings. The sound of the ocean lapping against the sand and the smell of salty air infiltrated her senses. Ginny took a deep breath and sighed happily.

"I love the ocean."

"Well you're not going to love this one," Draco said. "It's dangerous."

"I'm not afraid of a bit of water," Ginny sniffed.

"You will be if a white squall comes and smashes our boat into smithereens," Draco predicted.

"What's a white squall?" Ginny asked crinkling her nose.

"It's the biggest, most dangerous storm on the ocean," Draco answered. "Ships who venture into one never return."

"Let's hope we don't run into one than," Ginny decided. Draco just chuckled and reined the camel to a stop. The Death Eaters ahead of them were dismounting and unpacking their supplies.

"I guess this is our stop," Draco said, dismounting as well. He reached up a hand and helped Ginny down. "Carry this down to the boats will you?" Draco piled some bags into her arms and slung a few over his shoulder. Getting out his wand, he poked it into her back and prodded her towards the waterfront.

The next half an hour was spent loading the boat they were taking to the Island. The night went on, the stars watching silently as the figures in black continued their task. They had gotten through the first desert alive and mostly in one piece, but the ocean was a wild, dangerous trek. One they may not survive. As Ginny and Draco boarded the ship, she glimpsed the water. It was black as the night and the waves crashed upon the side of the boat fiercely. Choppy water was never a good sign. Ginny found a corner in the ships hull and sat down in it, drawing her legs to her chest and rocked back and forth. She prayed to God that she wouldn't find herself lost among the grains of sand hidden below beneath the depth of the black waters, but the ocean was unpredictable and prayers aren't always answered the way their asked to be.

* * *

**Well if that didn't just take forever. Finally back from my mission's trip and the lake house. It was hard and fun. I really need to get this story rolling again because I'm starting some new original ones. Hope you guys liked it! Please review!**

**.:Angelgrl185:.**


	17. Storm Rising

**First I wanted to apologize for not responding to reviews or thanking you all for taking the time to write them. It was very rude and ungrateful of me. **

**Thanks to everyone who review the previous chapters, but their questions were answered with the new ones so I won't address those. Thank you for the compliments and encouragement as well:**

**Lady lorethei**

**AureliaMalfoy**

**Lettie**

**SilvinArrow**

**Lomiel** (I'm glad they're back together too!)

**Embellished** (You're right about the tryouts and Ginny's last name, I made a mistake)

**Bellodraco **(Yeah I know they're the Roman forms, I just like the names better)

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**Sweetmly117**

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**Oxymoronique **(I love your name, its great! I love when he's protective too!)

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**Laine3** (Glad you liked the scene with Narcissa and that it was not too soft and stuff and Lucius gets sleazier although I totally agree with you!)

**Lady Godiva **(Yup, he's a spy! Totally made up all the Rilanthia stuff, so just to let you know its not real, not that I know of. Glad you enjoyed it though!)

PP Ruffie 

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**akmirror**

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Friends Close, Enemies Closer

**.:Angelgrl185:.**

_((I don't own the Harry Potter Series of any of its components))_

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Chapter Seventeen: Storm Rising 

_One Day Until Winter Solstice_

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The five of them crept silently through the hallways seeking out the presence of Tonks. They found her in the conference room, the door slightly ajar and a phone in her hand. Harry's eyes widened when he recognized it to be a cell phone, something muggles were known to use. Tonks' face was scrunched up in worry and she kept biting her lower lip. She quickly punched in a number in the phone and held it up to her ear.

"Mitch?" she said, her voice holding a note of desperation. "I need your help. I'm calling in my favor."

Tonks listened for a little while to the man on the other line, her head tilted and eyebrows furrowed concentration.

"I need to get to Europe immediately," she told him. "Mitch, I need you to send me a Concord to pick me up." His reply caused her eyes to darken. Apparently she didn't like it.

"I don't care if it is against your government's regulations!" she yelled into the phone. "You owe me, Mitch. You owe me big! I saved your life and the life of your family and in the process risked my own and the revealing of what I am."

She listened a little while longer as the lines of her face visibly relaxed.

"That's right now," she said calmly, the total opposite of her disposition a few moments ago. "I need to set a direct course to Thasos."

Tonks nodded and released a sigh of relief. "You'll be here in two hours? Thanks, Mitch."

The teens looked at each other in bewilderment Harry mused to himself. Apparently Tonks thought they were headed toward Thasos, but waiting two hours before she would start looking for them? They would have been so far ahead of her by then that there was no way she could catch up. What was this Concord thing she was asking for? Probably something that would help her locate them easier. That must be why she isn't too concerned with them getting two hours ahead on her. Harry shrugged. Obviously they had to wait a little longer. He signaled to the others to leave the room. They filed out silently shooting him confused glances, but respected his leadership.

* * *

The night had passed silently through out the hours they traveled across the sandy desert. A new dawn was breaking. Faint rays of pale orange light seeped through the cracks in the mountains silhouetted at the edges of the desert. It signaled that the shore was drawing near. The hooves of the camels thudded softly against the hot grains as they surged forward. They had traveled through the desert without a single interruption, that was, until now. Dumbledore's sharp blue eyes scanned the horizon taking in the disturbing sight that was dawning upon their caravan. With a tight fist, the sharply reined his camel making it come to a complete stop. The others followed his example and pulled roughly to a halt just behind him. Molly's cry of horrification rang out into the once silent air.

Sirius Black dismounted from the camel he had been riding, his body sliding down the length of its furry side. Remus Lupin followed in his example, landing expertly beside him. Sirius walked somewhat stiffly toward the scene before him. He knelt beside the first fallen form and gently pulled away the material covering its face. Two lifeless eyes stared back at him. Dull brown eyes framed with thick black lashed. Black hair curled out from underneath a cream turban that rested on his head. His face was contorted in an expression of surprised pain. There was no evidence of blood or any type of harm on his body, but being a wizard, Sirius immediately knew the mark of the green death.

"Sand Raiders," he said finally, pushing himself off of the sand.

"Seems like our friends had a little run in with them," Remus offered, from where he was crouched over another fallen form a distance away. The familiar black robes ruffled slightly in the new mornings wind. Dumbledore appeared by their side and studied the scene.

"Search the area and mark the dead," he ordered. "I want to know who remains in pursuit of the sword."

The rest of the Order nodded in compliance and began searching the immediate area for signs of struggle and other dead bodies. It wasn't hard since the surface of the sand was stained with blood on one side and dead bodies on the other. It was evident to the Order that the Death Eaters had defeated the Sand Raiders, the evidence lain out in lifeless forms. The only evidence that another party had been present was the blood and the silver bullets that marred the sand.

Orange glow of the dawning sun had melted into a cool yellow light as it rose higher in the sky. The heat from the burning ball of fire grew in strength over the amount of time the Order spent pouring through the desert.

"Only two Death Eaters were killed in the battle," Kingsley reported, coming to stand next to Dumbledore.

"More were wounded though," Sirius added, as he neared them.

"Then we can assume that Lord Voldemort still has a large amount of followers with him?" Dumbledore asked.

"I'm afraid so, Sir," Remus' voice broke into the conversation. Dumbledore nodded.

"Then we need to keep moving," he said. "Where's Molly?"

"She's still with the camels," Kingsley replied. "We thought it best that she see as little of this as possible."

"And Arthur?"

"Keeping her calm," Sirius said with a wry smile.

"That'll be the day," Remus drawled wryly. Dumbledore smiled briefly.

"Come, we must continue on."

* * *

Ginny stared silently across the expanse of the ocean that was laid out before her in a vision of soft greens and blues. It was beautiful there was no doubt. The water rolled around them, gently rocking their boat. A strong wind constantly filled their white sails with drive. The constant movement of the ship was making her a little woozy and her head ached from not getting enough sleep. They had been sailing since dark and now the sun was blazing high in the sky. Ginny had lost all dimension of time, but surmised that it was near noon.

As the wind softly caressed her face and danced among her amber curls, she breathed in deeply, drinking in the salty air. Ginny was grateful that they had allowed her to remain on the deck of the ship. Hiding out below would not have sat well with her. The sound of footsteps nearing her caused her body to stiffen, expecting unwanted company. She had endured the leering and perverted verbal attacks from the Death Eaters ever since they taken her captive. Crossing neither a heated desert nor a vast ocean had stilled their need to assault her. A strong arm wrapping possessively around her and the familiar scent of soap and sweat drifted into her nose. She smiled despite herself and relaxed in his arms. His head rubbed against hers as he lowered it and playfully nipped the skin on her neck. Warning bells went off in her head and she abruptly pushed him away.

"Don't, Draco," she warned, throwing him a look.

"What?" he asked.

"They'll see!" she whispered fiercely.

"I don't care," he murmured, drawing his head back towards her and placing a cool kiss on her neck. Ginny felt her body tingle in response.

"Draco," she repeated. He mumbled something incoherent against her skin, blowing hot air against her body. She felt her body tingle again in pleasure. Reluctantly he pulled back and moved to stand against the side of the ship with her, making sure to keep a good distance of space between them. Ginny looked around warily and was thankful to see that no one was around this side of the ship.

"You're lucky no one saw that," she said.

"You're lucky that we can't do that or you'd be in big trouble," he replied with a grin.

"What do you mean by trouble?" she asked curiously. Draco's grin only widened. He leaned back down and whispered something into her ear. Ginny's face flushed as the meaning of his words connected in her mind. She stilled as his hand ever so lightly caressed the skin under her right breast. Her whole body flushed and her breathing caught in her throat. Draco smirked and was about to make a remark when a shadow fell across them.

"Draco, now is not the time for your games," Lucius' hard voice interrupted them. "You will have time to play with her later."

Draco froze at his father's voice and relaxed when he realized that Lucius misinterpreted their actions. He thought Ginny was stiff because she was hostile to Draco's touch and that Draco was trying to use her.

"Yes, Father," he said, pulling away from Ginny. He shoved her roughly against the side of the ship.

"The crew is having trouble with one of the sails and need an extra hand," Lucius said turning toward his son. "Go help them."

Draco nodded. "Yes, Father."

Turning, he faced Ginny and allowed a sneer to flit onto his face. "I will be back for you later. Don't try to fight me this time." With that he walked away leaving Ginny alone with Lucius as a bad feeling settle in his stomach. He looked back to see Ginny staring out into the ocean and Lucius watching her with a hungry look in his eyes. Draco clenched his fist and fought the urge to go back there, but forced himself to walk way.

* * *

The sun was high in the sky by the time Tonks left Grimmauld Place with the five teens trailing silently behind her and hidden. In London the sky was a clear blue with the sun shining brightly. Tonks waited impatiently outside. A loud roar filled the air around them and the kids looked around in confusion as the area around them expanded and a long runway appeared. Tonks perked up at the sound and had pulled out her wand casting a quick spell. The result was the runway. A large sleek white plan emerged from the sky heading towards them rapidly. It slowed down as it approached and landed swiftly along the runway. The plane kicked up a fierce wind that almost knocked everyone off of his or her feet.

They all watched as the white door built into the side mechanically lowered. A tall, burly man with thick blond hair appeared in the entrance and walked down the steps. Tonks broke into a broad grin and waved merrily at him. When he reached her, he pulled Tonks into a huge bear hug.

"Glad you came, Mitch," Tonks said.

"You needed me, now I'm here," he replied. "You all set?"

Tonks lifted up a single black bag next to her and nodded. Mitch motioned for her to follow and led the way back into the plane. Waiting a few seconds, Harry motioned for Hermione, Ron, Blaise and Tristan to follow them. The five ran quickly across the runway to the plane and quietly boarded.

Inside was an aisle that separated twenty rows of seats, two in each row. The upholstery of the plan was a deep crème leather and red carpet lining the floor. Circular windows were at the end of every row on either side of the plane. Pale lights glowed inside. Tonks followed Mitch to the cabin of the plane as the five teens settled warily into the seats. When Harry had seen the plane land, which he took to be the Concord, he realized what it was. One of the fastest passenger planes in the world. It could fly them all to Thasos in a couple of hours. Harry smiled. This was better than expected.

"Harry, what is going on?" Blaise whispered in his ear.

"This is a plane," he replied so everyone could hear. "Muggle use them as a form of transportation since they can't apparate, fly or port key. The plane is mechanical and has the ability to fly. This particular model is called a Concord and is one of the fastest passenger planes in existence. It should get us to Thasos in a couple of hours."

The loud rumble of the engines firing up caused Blaise to squeak and jump in her seat. When the plane started moving slowly across the runway, gaining speed as it went along, Blaise moved her hand and grabbed Tristan's. With a burst of speed the Concord jet began its steep ascent into the atmosphere. All the blood drained away from Blaise's face and fear took its place as they soared into the sky. Harry chuckled. Obviously Blaise had never been on a plane before.

* * *

Once again Dumbledore brought the Order to a halt. This time at the edge of a small town. The smell of the ocean was strong and tickled their noses. A few people were milling about the mostly desolate town that bordered the water. They looked up as the camels walked wearily into their midst. The Order made their way past the people and didn't stop again until they had reached the docks. Arthur once again dismounted and walked up along the dock until he reached a middle-aged man. They spoke in hushed tones for a while before the man nodded and motioned to one of the remaining boats docked. The rest of the Order unpacked their stuff and led the camels aboard the boat. They were going to need them in their venture across the "Land of the Dead." The sun was beginning its descent towards the earth as their ship set sail.

* * *

"Come with me," Lucius growled to Ginny as he grabbed her wrist forcefully and dragged her across the deck of the ship. She could do little, but comply with his wishes as she followed him down the steps below the deck. They entered what seemed to be a rough passenger cabin that was presently unoccupied except for them. A bunk bed was nailed to the floor in the right corner of the room and a desk was nailed to the left. It was small, but served its purpose as a temporary home while at sea.

Lucius walked briskly into the room, dragging Ginny along behind him through the door was. He deposited her roughly on the chair nailed in front of the desk and moved back towards the door, shutting it. He turned back around and faced Ginny, his gray eyes darkened and leering. Ginny shifted uncomfortably under his gaze, but refused to break his stare as she challenged him with her own penetrating look.

"I knew your mother when we were at Hogwarts," he said, an almost wistful look in his eyes. "She was a great beauty in her young age you know. Many men had their eyes set on Molly."

Ginny was taken aback that Lucius Malfoy was reminiscing about his past involvements with her mother.

"It's unfortunate that she married that pathetic was of a life Weasel," he spat. "Your mother was of a fine pureblood line and beautiful. She would have made a great trophy wife."

"My mother is not a prize for scum like you to dangle in society," Ginny growled. "She has more class than you ever will."

"Your mother was a foolish woman who threw her life away for a muggle loving failure," Lucius replied viciously. "She put down my advances for some traitorous muggle lover! I, Lucius Malfoy, was cast aside like a worthless toy. You're mother was beautiful, very beautiful. She should have been mine!"

He turned and faced Ginny, his eyes cold and steeled.

"You look just like your mother when she was your age," Lucius said, softly as he walked up to Ginny.

He lifted a hand and gently traced the curves of her face. "So beautiful."

Ginny flinched at his touch and sprang out of her seat. "What do you want from me?"

Lucius smiled coldly. "What I couldn't get from your mother."

He advanced toward her, his figure looming before her. Ginny shrank back even more and took a backward step for every step he took toward her. Soon he had her in a corner, her body pressed tightly against a wall. Lucius took a step closer so that he was almost touching her before reaching out a hand again to trace the soft skin of her cheek. Ginny lifted up a hand and grabbed his, wrenching it painfully away from her face. Lucius sucked in a gasp of pain as anger appeared in his eyes.

"_Incarcerous_," Lucius growled, pulling his wand from his robe. Ginny's eyes went wide as thick ropes appeared out of the air and magically bound her to the wall. She struggled against the ropes, trying to move her hands and feet, but to no avail. Terrified, she looked into the cold eyes of Lucius Malfoy. Once again he lifted a hand and plunged it into her amber tresses. Bringing a lock of hair up to his face, Lucius breathed it in deeply and closed his eyes. Ginny began to whimper as a smile curved on his thin lips and he leaned his head in.

* * *

Time passed slowly by on the Concord jet through out the hours. The only entertainment the teens had was looking out the window and light chatter. They could not risk turning on the TV for obvious reasons. A loud rumble and the hard rocking of the plane caused Blaise to tumble out of Tristan's lap with a loud screech. She hit the floor painfully and bumped her head on the back of the seat in front of her.

"What is that?" she asked fearfully, while rubbing her head.

"It's turbulence," Harry replied with a stern look. "Stop being so loud."

"I think this jet is going to fall out of the sky, Harry," Blaise said looking around nervously as the plane gave another jolt.

"It's not going to fall out of the sky, Blaise," Harry said exasperated. "Now keep quiet!" He almost groaned aloud when the door to the pilot's cabin opened and Tonks stepped out of it, her head cocked to the side as if trying to hear something. She slowly pulled out her wand and began to walk down the aisle. Quietly she whispered a few words. Harry felt his skin grow hot and from the look of surprise and anger that passed through Tonks' face, he knew that they had been discovered.

"What is going on here?" she demanded angrily, her hands on her hips. "I thought you guys left five hours ago?"

No one spoke. Hermione fidgeted guiltily with her shirt, Ron looked away in embarrassment, Blaise sat quietly studying the carpet and Tristan was staring out the window. Harry sighed.

"We tricked you, Tonks," he admitted. "We didn't want to be stuck in Grimmauld while Ginny and Draco were in danger. Hermione did a invisibility spell and we let you think we had left so you would go after us and lead us to Thasos."

Tonks groaned and buried her face in her hands. "I can't believe I fell for this. I'm going to get in so much trouble."

"You're not going to take us back are you?" Ron asked.

"You can't take us back," Harry said. "We've come too far now to turn back. What if they need us?"

"You can't expect me to take you all to Thasos when Dumbledore strictly instructed that you stay back in London?" Tonks said warily.

"How many more hours until we reach Thasos?" Harry asked.

"About four," Tonks answered.

"Four?" Blaise repeated. "I thought you said this thing was fast?"

"It is fast," Hermione cut in impatiently. "It would take over twice as long with a regular plane."

"Four hours?" Harry mused. "That would be a total of six. That means we must be in the lead of both the Order and Voldemort. We could get there first!"

Tonks shook her head. "No, Harry."

"Think about it, Tonks," Harry said. "You love Ginny just as much as we do. Could you live with yourself if you knew she died and there was something you could have done to prevent it but didn't?"

"That is a low blow, Harry Potter," Tonks replied through gritted teeth. "You know I think of Ginny as a sister."

"That's why you need to go to Thasos and help save her," Harry answered. Tonks glanced around the five determined faces of the teens in front of her and heaved a heavy sigh.

"I can't believe I'm doing this," she muttered, shaking her head. "If you want to go to Thasos, you do exactly what I say got it?"

The five nodded. Satisfied, Tonks shook her head again in disbelief as she walked back to the cabin. A slow smile spread across Harry's face.

* * *

Ginny spat directly into Lucius Malfoy's looming face. A great big glob of mucus dripped down his face as his eyes widened in shock and then anger. He was about to reply when the door to the cabin slammed opened. Lucius stepped automatically away from Ginny and turned around. Draco stood in the doorway staring at his father. Ginny could see his fingers were curled into two tight fists by his side.

"What is going on here, Father?" Draco asked.

"Nothing, Draco," Lucius answered. "Just taking care of some old business. Is there something you wanted?"

"There are dark storm clouds rolling in from the north. It looks like it is going to be a bad one. They wanted you on deck to handle orders."

Lucius nodded. He gave one last lingering look at Ginny before hurrying out of the cabin. When the door was shut, Draco rushed over to Ginny and undid the magical bindings. She collapsed trembling into his arms. Draco held her, gently stroking her back as she shuddered.

"I'm sorry, Ginny, so sorry," Draco murmured into her hair. "I didn't want to leave you with him. Did he hurt you?"

Ginny shook her head against his chest. "He wanted, he was –"

"Shush, it's okay," Draco hushed her. He cradled her to his chest. Reaching up a hand he smoothed down her hair and kissed the top of her head. Draco pulled back and stared into her eyes.

"He's not going to hurt you," he said strongly. "I won't let him."

Ginny nodded. Draco smiled and leaned his head down before capturing her lips in a soft, brief kiss. Ginny trembled and pulled him closer.

"I have to get back to the deck," Draco said. "There's a storm coming and they're going to need my help."

"Is it a white squall?" Ginny asked anxiously.

"I hope not," Draco replied. "I'll put locks on the door to prevent anyone from entering this room. You should be safe in here."

Ginny nodded again. "Be careful, Draco."

"I will, I promise," he answered with a smile. He kissed the top of her head once more before leaving her alone.

* * *

Thunder roared in the darkened sky as black storm clouds rolled across the sky. The ocean turned a dangerous black as the water began to toss and turn. The boat that the Order was traveling on appeared to be a small speck in a great sea. Lighting flashed, illuminating the thick, black clouds that lingered dangerously above. Any minute a down pour of rain was going to be released from their depths.

"What can we do to prevent this from affecting us?" Remus yelled to Dumbledore over the loud howling of the wind.

"Not much," Dumbledore shouted back. "We are close to the "Land of the Dead" and the curse is already beginning to effect the magical atmosphere. This storm is making it nearly impossible for magic to function on top of that."

"What do we do?" Remus asked.

"Anything we can to ensure that we survive this," Dumbledore replied grimly.

"Remus!" Sirius' voice called loudly. "I need your help with this sail!"

Remus and Dumbledore looked up to see one of the sails blowing violently in the wind. The ropes that had attached one side of the sail to the ship had snapped. Remus hurried across the deck to lend a hand. A large raindrop landed on Dumbledore's head. He looked up in time to see the sky open and sheets of rain pour heavily upon their ship. The waves churned and tossed beneath them causing the ship to rock violently. A scream ripped into the air as a huge wave rose above their ship and crashed down upon them. Dumbledore was swept hard against the side of the ship where he grabbed on to it for dear life. Remus, Sirius, Kingsley and Arthur were clinging tightly to the nets that led to the broken sail as the water crashed over them. Molly, the one who screamed, was nowhere in sight.

* * *

**Well this update definitely came faster than previously. I had hoped that more would happen, but I'm to tired to write anymore and just and just want to post. Hope you all enjoy it! Please review!**

**.:Angelgrl185:.**


	18. Deathly Consequences

**Thanks to:**

PP Ruffie: I love cliffhangers! laughs evilly

PsYcHiC SeLiNa: Glad you liked the chapter!

Frances: Thanks for the suggestion, but I'm too lazy to change it. You're right though, it would read better. Be more dramatic. Harry is an idiot, but it is necessary for him to be one!

ExtremeDancer: Thanks for the review! Sorry it took so long to post again.

Alexandria J. Malfoy: Holy crap! That's a lot of reading! Glad you like it! I hope it was at least worth your time.

GuestTypePerson: Dumbledore wasn't told about it. I'll consider that a plot hole for right now and we'll see how everything writes out in the end. I can go back and fix it later. My mission's trip was in Butler, Pennsylvania. Nothing extremely intense like Russia or anything, but it was an awesome time and I really enjoyed working there. Especially cause the program we did catered more to teaching and spreading the gospel than just helping around the town.

Ice princess grl: Lucius Malfoy is a sick, sick, deranged man in this story. Hope it doesn't freak you out too much. He's going to keep his deranged part to himself for now. Glad you liked it though!

Wtfbbg: Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it! Here's next one!

Slytherin Ice Panther: Don't worry about not reviewing. Although I totally enjoy and live off of reviews, it's okay if you can't. Thanks for this one though and glad you liked the chapter! Sorry to hear about the grounding. That really sucks. I'm lucky that I'm old enough that I don't get grounded anymore. Mostly because I'm at college practically all year.

Laina3: I'm like totally dragging out the days here, but so much is happening in them! This is the very last part of the day though. I swear! Lucius _is_ a sleaze. Glad you liked it!

**Author's Note: I realize that the past couple of months I've taken a tremendously long time to update this story. So in order to make up for the latest botch of time, this chapter is twice as long as my regular ones so you are getting two chapters in one. Also, I realized that I kind of left Snape behind at Grimmauld and I didn't mean to do that so I went back and fixed it so he is now traveling with the Order to Rilanthia. Enjoy!**

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Friends Close, Enemies Closer

**.:Angelgrl185:.**

_((I don't own the Harry Potter Series of any of its components))_

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Chapter Eighteen: Deathly Consequences

_One Day Until Winter Solstice_

**Night**

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* * *

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The sky was black than inevitable darkness with luminous clouds that hovered over  
the sky. Bright flashes of purple tinted lightning lit up the sky briefly, illuminating the wickedly black sea that ravaged around the tiny boat caught in the middle. Rain pelted down upon them in hoards of icy spikes, savagely soaking them and stinging their soft flesh. The feminine scream that ripped through the air cause the hair to stand on end of every person on deck and ripped through the heart of one person in particular.

"Molly," Arthur Weasley whispered, horrified. His dark blue eyes widened in dismay and his freckled face blanched considerably. It took all his effort to not propel himself immediately off of the netting he was currently climbing in order to find his wife. Of course it would have been stupid to just jump off because he would have died and consequently ruining any saving Molly plans.

Arthur grabbed the nearest robe dangling by his side and wrapped his lanky frame around it. Once he was secure in his hold, he slide all the way down the rope. His face tightened in determination as he fought the pain of the rope burning into his hands and legs as he plummeted toward the deck of the boat. He landed forcefully on one knee in the middle of a flood of water. Down for no more than three seconds, Arthur sprinted off the ground and raced toward the edge of the ship. The water tossed around the boat. Black, ominous waves rising and collapsing around them. Some beasts towered above the ship and crashed down upon with such a force that Arthur thought it was going to snap in half. The waves always knocked them off their feet and threatened to send them over board into the stormy ocean below.

A torrential downpour of water crashed over him as its saltiness invaded his mouth and nose. Arthur gasped and sputtered, trying to draw in a breath as he clung to the ship's edge for dear life. When the wave had passed, he peered his head over the side of the ship. Down near the very bottom he spotted a frantic red headed figure wrapped around a long strand of rope.

"Molly!" he yelled, pointless over the deafening roars of the ocean. In his panic he tried to think of every possible way he could climb down and rescue her. As his situation became more hopeless, Arthur felt his heart plummet to the middle of his chest as he realized there was no way he could reach her. That's when he remembered that he was actually a wizard. He almost had the insane urge to roll his eyes at his stupidity before not wasting another moment. Pulling his wand out of his robes his branded it toward Molly.

"_Accio, Molly!_" he cried. A bewildered look of fear fell across Molly's face, as she was detached from her rope. To her surprise she didn't fall into the Black Death below her, but instead torpedoed up into the air. She plummeted into Arthur with a force that knocked both of them to the floor. They slid across the deck in the water and stopped when they hit a pole.

"Molly," Arthur whispered, softly. His fingers caught the curve of her chin and tilted her face toward him. "Molly."

She trembled as he drew her in his arms and buried his head in their embrace. He shuddered and she felt warm drops fall across her neck while his warm breath caressed the skin there. She was alive. Arthur had saved her. Molly closed her eyes in relief and wrapped her arms around her shaking husband. They clung to each other finding comfort in the midst of the terror because even if only for a moment, they were alive.

* * *

"What are you doing?" Hermione's soft voice floated in his ears. Ron smiled at her familiarity and motioned her over. She complied willingly and sank into his embrace, settling herself in his lap.

"I'm strategizing," he answered as his look of concentration returned to his face.

"Strategizing?" she repeated, rolling the word around on her tongue.

"Of course," Ron replied as a matter of fact. "I _am_ the brilliant chess player here."

"Oh, _of course_, the _brilliant_ chess player," Hermione agreed with an impish smile. "The brilliant chess player who lost to _me_ quite a few times a week ago if I recall correctly."

"You were distracting me!" he wined pitifully.

"It's not my fault you're easily distracted, Hon," Hermione said with a helpless shrug.

"_Hermione_," Ron drawled. "You were nibbling on my ear! How is any man supposed to pay attention when a very attractive female is mauling his irresistible man flesh? Isn't there some rule anyways about players having to stay on _their_ side of the chess board?"

"Attractive female?" Hermione echoed. "I think I like the sound of that. However, I don't know who this man you are talking about is."

"Hermione, you wound me," Ron replied sticking out his lower lip in a pathetic attempt at a pout. Hermione giggled and clasped her hands around his neck.

"Okay, maybe I lied a little," she admitted, drawing his head towards her and touching her forehead to his.

"A little?" he question, pulling away from her slightly.

"Okay, okay! A lot! I lied a lot!" she groaned, rolling her eyes as a satisfied grin spread across his face. She had to admit. Ron looked incredibly sexy when his lips were curved in a big smile that also shone brightly out of his cornflower blue eyes. Irresistibly sexy that is.

Hermione leaned in and gently claimed his lips. She sucked on the upper one before transferring to the equally ripe lower one. Ron lifted his hands and plunged one in the rich mass of hair crowning her head leaving the other to trail lightly along her skin until firmly clasping behind her neck. His lips gently brushed hers as he pulled her tightly against him. Hermione ran her tongue along the top of his lip seeking entrance and Ron opened his mouth allowing her to explore inside. She traced every curve of his mouth, reveling in the warmth she found in there, loving the taste of him. Ron was just as happy to let her maul him.

"Hermione," Ron said, breaking away from her. She leaned back, panting slightly and gave him a questioning stare. "You're doing it again."

He received a blank look.

"You know, distracting me?"

"Oh!" Hermione said, clamping her hands over her mouth.

"You seem to have an unusual knack for that," he commented wryly.

"I can't help that I'm good," Hermione defended herself.

"No, you can't help that you are completely infatuated with me as well as you should be," Ron countered haughtily.

"You sound like Draco," Hermione observed with a smirk.

Ron snapped his mouth shut and glared at her. "In no way, shape or form am I anything like that conceited, arrogant prick!"

"Now, now, Ron," Hermione said, wagging a finger at him. "We're supposed to be nice to Draco. He's a good guy now remember?"

"He may be on our side, but he's still a great prat," he muttered darkly.

"Ron, don't be jealous," Hermione, said good-naturedly. "You have me."

"Who said I was jealous?" Ron protested. "I would never be jealous of such a pompous, inconsiderate know it all who likes to mack on my little sister!"

"Ron," Hermione interjected. "I was just kidding."

He stopped his tirade with a sheepish grin. "Oh."

Hermione smiled and pulled him toward her for another kiss.

"I'm not jealous," Ron restated when they pulled away.

"I know, Ron," she said.

"I really do need to get back to work," Ron said looking irritably at the paper before him.

"Something important?" Hermione asked curiously.

"Oh, nothing really," he replied casually. "Just brilliant ways to save the world and stuff like that."

Hermione rolled her hazel eyes and moved out of his lap to sit in the seat next to him. "What've you got so far?"

"Not much really," Ron remarked. "We have a pretty vague idea right now about what's going to happen down there. As far as we've gathered the kingdom of Rilanthia will be revealed as soon as the Winter Solstice dawns which will be in a few hours."

"Has Harry mentioned any specifics?"

"Beside requesting that he personally sacks good old Voldie?" Ron asked with a grin. "Not really. Tonks told us that Mitch, the Pilot, is going to drop us off at the edge of the "Land of the Dead." Apparently this flying scrap of metal doesn't work over the desert. I don't really know what he means by drop though cause I definitely don't want to be just thrown to the ground. Especially from this altitude."

"He means we're gonna have to parachute or something," Hermione informed him, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Parachute?" Ron asked confused.

"It's a muggle thing," she explained. "You strap a bag to your back and jump out of the plane. When you've fallen down enough you pulled a cord attached to the bag and it releases what is called a parachute. The parachute opens up into like a big balloon that makes you glide gently to the ground instead of falling at neck breaking speed and splattering to the ground dead and deformed."

"Thanks for the wonderful imagery," Ron replied sarcastically.

"No problem," she replied with a grin.

"Right, so after we parachute or whatever to the ground, we're gonna have to find some way to get to the actually city. For all we know this could take hours, days even. We have no clue how far away the city is from the edge of the desert."

"So pretty much you're saying our plan is completely hopeless because we could not even make it there on time and the best we should hope for is miraculously landing on the desert alive and the city being about five steps away?" Hermione cited.

"Exactly," Ron confirmed with a frown.

"That's not a very good strategy," Hermione observed.

"That's why I was trying to work on it until I got interrupted," he pointed out, flicking her nose with his fingers.

"Well then I won't keep you anymore," she decided as she stood up. "I don't want to have to hope for the best. I want to save Ginny and Draco and defeat the Dark Lord once and for all."

Hermione bent down and kissed the top of his messy red head before leaving him in peace.

* * *

Ginny scowled as she sat in the hard wooden chair, her feet placed non to gently atop of some papers that she hoped were very important to the idiotic Death Eaters because her shoes were muddy and were ruining them. She had been locked in this bloody cabin for well over an hour now and it was starting to annoy her. First of all, there had be a terrible storm raging outside doing god knows what to god knows whom and she was stuck in here. The savage rocking of the ship due to horrendous waves had made her sick and on top of that, she hate lightning and it was the only thing she could see flashing out the window.

Now only silence ensued and it was driving her insane. Not only was she all alone with absolutely nothing to do, she didn't even know if Draco was safe! For all she knew everyone could be dead outside and floating lifelessly in the sea and she would never know cause she was locked inside this stupid cabin and would probably die of starvation. The sound of the bolts unlocking startled Ginny out of her thoughts and she immediately rose to her feet. The heavy wooded door creaked as it was pushed open and closed by Draco. Ginny sighed in relief as she drank in the sight of him.

His silvery blond hair was plastered across his face and dripping water. Little trails ran along the curves of his face and neck down into his clothes. His slate eyes were alert, but lines around them betrayed his weariness. Ginny rushed to his side and threw her arms around him squeezing him tight. She didn't care if he thought her to be immature or clingy, she was just glad that he was safe. She felt the deep rumbling in his chest before she heard the chuckles of mirth escaping from his mouth. Drawing back, she gazed into his eyes and found them now to be lit with amusement. Feeling silly, she withdrew from him and stepped away unsure of what to do.

"I'm sorry, Ginny," he said softly, his amusement disbanding. "I didn't mean to make you upset."

He reached out a hand and drew her against him. Ginny sighed as she felt the familiar contour of his body molding into hers are she wrapped his arms around his waist and buried her head into his firm chest. Muscular arms encircled her and a hand found its way into her hair. Draco smiled as he twirled his fingers in her silky amber locks.

"I'm just glad you're safe, " she murmured into his chest. Her warm breath tickled his skin even through his clothes.

Draco kissed the top of her head and drew away. "Come, I'm sure you don't want to be locked up in here anymore."

Ginny nodded and followed him out of the cabin when he opened the door. The sight that met her eyes had then flown wide open in shock. The ship's deck was a complete mess. The storm had done more damage than she thought it would. One of the tall masts looked as it had been struck by lightning and had crashed to the ground. The deck was now flooded with a tangle of worn ropes and whites sails as well as salty ocean water. Seaweed and other plant life were strewn across the deck adding a bit of color to its normally drab brown. Black smoke billowed at the far end of the ship where Ginny could barely make out some of the men dousing orange flames with water.

"A real mess, huh?" Draco commented as he took in her took of disbelief. She nodded mutely. He chuckled and grabbed her arm before dragging her around the rubbage and up to the top deck where Voldemort and Lucius were standing with the Death Eater who was directing the boat.

"Ah, Draco," Voldemort said when they approached. Ginny couldn't help but stare at him. He was so grotesque in his features she wondered how anyone could stand to be around him much less follow him till death. His beady scarlet eyes were slit and glinting mysteriously while his thin, bloodless lips were pulled into an amused smirk. His face was gaunt and way to pale to be considered normal. Think like a hundred times paler than Draco and Draco was pretty fair.

"My Lord," Draco said, dropping to one knee and bowing his head before the snake like man.

"I told you there was no need for that," Voldemort said, waving away the formalities.

"Forgive me, my lord," Draco apologized raising his head. "But I feel respect should be showed when respect is deserved. Allow me to continue to show you the honor and respect you deserve."

"A fine son you have raised, Lucius," Voldemort praised nodding at his right hand man.

"I'm glad he pleases you, my lord," Lucius replied with a proud tilt of his head.

"Very well, Draco," Voldemort agreed. "You may rise now."

"What is your will, my lord?" Draco inquired.

"I have a task that I need you to perform," Voldemort said.

"Anything," Draco replied confidently.

Voldemort's lips curved into what Ginny deemed an incredibly malicious smile and he turned his gaze upon her. She felt caught in his penetrating red eyes. His pupils were narrow black slits against the scarlet color of his iris and they burned through her.

"I need you to slit Miss Weasley's wrists."

"What?" Ginny screeched forgetting all about being compliant and a willing participant until her help arrived. There was no way in hell she was going to let some psychos slit her wrist. And there was definitely no way she was going to let Voldemort force Draco to slit her wrist.

Draco on the other hand seemed not to falter at all when the request was made of him. The only betrayal of his emotion was the slight curling of his fingers, the quirk in his lips and the momentary appearance of golden flecks speckling in his eyes. Neither Voldemort nor Lucius caught these signs, but Ginny did. Ginny could read him like a book and he knew that he was restraining very hard from not protesting.

"He is _not_ cutting my wrists!" Ginny growled. She wrenched her arm from Draco's grasp and placed her hands on her hips and glared angrily at the so called Dark Lord.

"My lord, is it wise to kill her so soon?" Draco asked slowly. "She is a Legilimens is she not? Certainly Dumbledore would sense her departure from the world. Legilimens have a way of sending a mental signal to anyone who can hear it when they pass away. Then they would have no reason to come to her rescue and you need Harry Potter."

"Are you questioning me, young Malfoy?" Voldemort hissed sharply.

Draco shook his head. "Never, milord, just merely trying to understand."

"What you say is true, Draco," the Dark Lord mused. "But you will not be killing her. Just merely taking some of her blood."

Draco nodded. "Alright, with what would you have me collect her blood?"

At this Ginny could not keep the look of betrayal from flooding her face. He was going to do it. Draco was actually going to slit her wrists. Ginny felt her heart plummet to her stomach as Lucius handed Draco a clear glass vial. He reached down into his robes and pulled out a long silver knife. The blade glinted wickedly in the soft moonlight and Ginny started to shake.

"No! I won't let you do this!" she cried hysterically, backing away from them. Lucius moved swiftly to her side and wrenched one her of her arms behind her pack. Ginny winced at the pain and hunched over in order to relieve it. Completely secure in Lucius' iron arms she could no longer struggle.

Grabbing her wrist, Draco refused to look at her as he poised the blade over her soft skin. With his thumb resting against her smooth skin her could feel the life pulsing through her veins. It beat solidly against his skin and it seemed to beg him to relent. Draco struggled to keep his composure as he placed the edge of the blade against her skin. Flicking his eyes up to hers, his gray depths pleaded with her to forgive him, to understand and he moved his wrist and the blade sliced through her skin.

Ginny bit her lip hard as the pain slammed into her. Her teeth broke roughly into her lip causing it to bleed lightly, but that pain was nothing compare to the pounding one in her wrist. Hot tears collected in her eyes and she blinked furiously in order to keep them from falling. In order to keep from looking weak, but that was just how she felt. Weak and betrayed. Draco gingerly let her blood seep into the vial until it was not longer clear, but full of crimson liquid. Silently he closed the vial and handed it over to Voldemort.

"Congratulations, Draco," Voldemort said as he lifted the vial and stared at the blood.

"For what, my lord?" he asked confused.

"You passed the test," the Dark Lord replied. "Lucius had suspicions that while being the guardian of this child you had some how fallen attached to her and was turning against us. We do not need her blood, only Harry Potter's. I was merely testing your allegiance to me and wanted to see how far you would go to show it. Obviously Lucius is wrong for I highly doubt that if you cared for Miss Weasley as much as he assumed that you would attempt to harm her in any way."

"I only live to serve you, my lord," Draco replied with a low bow. His gray eyes burned momentarily with hatred while they were out of sight, but when he straightened they were glassy and clear.

"Take her away and bandage her, Draco," Voldemort commanded. "I will not have her muggle loving blood desecrating where I am. Wrap her wrist and stop the bleeding, but do not heal the wound. I want the pain to be a reminder that she is at my mercy."

Draco nodded and reached out to grab Ginny. She shrank away from his touch until she realized whom exactly she was shrinking against. With a glare of hatred aimed at Draco, she lifted her chin defiantly and shrugged off Lucius' hold before stalking away. Draco trailed until he caught up with her and grabbed her unharmed wrist roughly before pulling her down the stairs. He marched her into the cabin with out a word before releasing her.

Draco searched through the cabin until he found some old clothes in one of the dressers. Ginny watched him warily as he neared her and reached out for her wrist.

"Don't touch me," she spat angrily, drawing her wrist away.

"Give me your wrist, Ginny," Draco commanded sharply. She was shocked by the tone he took with her and allowed him to grasp her arm. Conjuring up a bowl, Draco dipped the cloth into the bowl and began to wipe away the blood that was still seeping out of her wound. As he dipped the soiled rag back into the basin, the blood oozed into the water but refused to mingle with it instead opting to swirl around in thin crimson vapors.

He ripped some of the cloth with he teeth and began to gingerly wrap her wrist with the bandages. Ginny watched fascinated by how concentrated he seemed to be at his task. No matter how angry or upset she was with him, the man was beautiful. When he was finished, Draco let his thumbs gently caress her wrist in soft circles. He could once again feel her blood pulsating through her veins.

"Ginny," he began, looking up at her with his gray eyes pleading. "I was hoping you'd understand. I had to do it.

Ginny looked away and refused to acknowledge his words. He sighed deeply before continuing to speak.

"You heard yourself that my father was suspicious of us. If I had refused to cut you that they would know how much I care about you and then they would have killed us both."

"Ginny," he said softly, moving his hand to cup her chin and draw her eyes to his. "I would rather go through the torture of cutting you myself than going through the emptiness of losing you."

She stared at him willing herself to hold her resolve against him, but she couldn't. She crumbled when she saw the pain in his eyes, heard the brokenness in his words. Even though she didn't want to believe Draco hurting her was the right thing to do, in her mind it made sense and she knew it to be true. He had saved both their lives by acting so cold hearted. The thing that hurt the most maybe was the fact that he was so good at it. Ginny hesitantly reached out a hand before brushing it lightly through his hair. Her fingers trailed along the top of his head until she reached his neck and pulled him to her. On his knees before her, Draco wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his head against her chest.

"Ginny," he breathed. "I didn't want to do it. It hurt so much. I'm so sorry, Ginny. I'm so sorry." Draco sucked in a breath and trembled slightly in her arms.

"Shush, Draco," she said soothingly, stroking the back of his neck with her fingers. "It's okay. I forgive you. You had to do it."

"Never again will I let them hurt you," he vowed, grabbing a fistful of her robes. "I don't care what the consequences are. They will never hurt you or use me to hurt you again."

Smoothing away the hair that still damply clung to his forehead, Ginny pressed a feather light kiss to the skin there. Tilting his hand up with a finger placed gently under his chin she left a trail of soft kisses along his jaw. Draco reached up with his hands and grasped her around the waist and roughly pulled her out of the chair onto his lap. Their eyes met briefly for a moment, both flickering with the same emotion, before his lips claimed hers. She sighed softly against his mouth as he sucked her full lips. Her fingers balled into a fist in his hair as Draco's tongue expertly began to ravage her mouth. Ginny felt her body begin to tingle as his hands slipped down her robes and he gently cupped her left breast in his hand and kneaded gently. A shiver of pleasure ran through her body causing her to squirm against him. Draco released her lips and dipped his head to trailed hot kisses along the base of her throat leading down.

A sharp knock at the door of the cabin made them jump apart as if on fire. Ginny panted heavily as she scrambled off the floor back into her chair. She took a couple of deep breaths in order to control her breathing and she saw that Draco was doing the same to compose his self. Straightening his robes, Draco walked toward the door and threw it open.

""Master Malfoy," a man in black robes spoke. "Sorry to interrupt your task, but the Dark Lord wanted me to tell you that you and the girl are to report to the deck immediately. We have arrived."

"Thank you, Crabbe," Draco said before leaving the doorway to grab Ginny and pull her out of the cabin.

Even though it was to keep up appearances, Ginny was getting a little sick of being pulled around everywhere. Annoyed, she threw off Draco's arm and stamped past him up the stairs to where they had been previously. Draco followed her wordlessly trying to hide the grin that was threatening to break across his calm façade.

They joined the figures lining the edge of the ship and stared out into the distance. Where once had been an endless array of ocean had now the appearance of the sandy desert not far away. The boat's bow sliced through the now relatively calm ocean.

'And they said girls were too temperamental and moody,' Ginny thought dryly to herself. 'I say the ocean takes the cake for it. It goes from psycho killing machine in one instant to beautiful serenity the next.'

Ginny, Draco, and the rest of the crew continued to watch the horizon as the "Land of the Dead" drew neared to them. Ginny felt anxiety began to build up her. What Draco had said about the desert draining all the energy out of a wizard was haunting her mind and refusing her to feel at peace. Not that she was really at peace anyways with all this craziness going on, but still, it wasn't helping much. The boat jolted and rocked as it slid halfway out of the water onto the bank of the beach. Ginny felt the coolness of the night beginning to wane as signs of the morning began to creep forth. The infinite darkness that seemed to drape over the sky earlier was lightening to a royal blue. Not quite dawn, but soon, very soon. Once the boat was unloaded and the camels repacked, Voldemort and his Death Eaters along with their solitary prisoner boarded their animals and headed into the heart of the desert.

They actually didn't get very far before another obstacle appeared this time in the guise of a big ugly snake. Ginny completely froze when it first appeared. It's gray scaly body slithered into their view out of nowhere and its endless hide wrapped around their entire group. It was a rather large snake. What really freaked her out though was the snake's resemblance to the basilisk. For a moment Ginny felt a rush of memories playing through her mind like a horror movie. Images of Tom, the basilisk and all of the things she did when under his control flooded her mind. Visibly shaken, Ginny fell back against Draco for support.

The snake had coiled back and poised to strike when Voldemort reached out a hand and spoke to it in a strong commanding voice. Ginny had no idea what he had said and the words he spoke sent shivers down her spine and it felt like snakes were crawling across her skin. She had heard only once before and that was during Harry and Draco's first duel during her second year. He was speaking Parsletongue.

"Do not sssstrike," Lord Voldemort hissed. The snake paused and as Ginny watched she could have sworn it blinked.

"Who are you ssstranger?" it demanded, its yellow eyes narrowed.

"I am Lord Voldemort."

"Voldemort," the snake said. "I have heard rumors of a Lord Voldemort who is sssseeking to obtain the world. Isss thisss you?"

"I am the mossst powerful wizard alive," Voldemort hissed. "I will have the world."

"Then you have come sssseeking the mysssstical ssssword," it replied. The snake straightened itself and coiled down closer to Lord Voldemort. The two creatures stared at each other and Ginny was drawn to how similar their characteristics where. Both the snake and Voldemort had slit beady eyes that seemed to glow as well as a flat nose with tiny slits for nostrils. Both moved with speed and a snake like grace.

The snake bowed its head. "It hassss been a long time ssssince a human hasss ssssspoken to me. You posssesss great powersss. For that I will not harm you, but will ssssserve."

"There are otherssss who follow," the Dark Lord said. "Do not let them live."

The snake bobbed its head and uncoiled is lithe body from around the group. With a hiss is slithered off into the desert to keep watch.

"Come, we must hurry," Voldemort commanded. "The time is drawing near."

* * *

"Remus, over here! We found Kingsley!" Sirius' shout brought not only Remus, but also the rest of the group to his side. Molly gasped and buried her face into Arthur's chest who wrapped a protective arm around her. Albus bowed his head while Remus looked on in horror.

Kingsley Shacklebolt's body was lying lifeless on the deck of the ship smashed against the side of the boat. A large wooden pole that had snapped off of the mast has speared through his chest. His eyes were hollow and dull as he stared blankly at the world no longer seeing or comprehending. Albus kneeled next to him and gently pressed Kingsley's eyes closed not bothering to be careful of the blood that was collecting around the dead body.

"Severus," Dumbledore said, looking up at Snape. "Please fetch me one of the spare robes from the saddle bags and some rope." He looked over at the Weasley's.

"Arthur, please remove your wife from the scene for I fear it is greatly vexing her."

Mr. Weasley complied and gently led his whitened Molly away from the wretched scene. Sirius and Remus, as gently as they could, pried the large pole out of Kinsley's chest. This cause an increase in the amount of blood gushing from his body as the hole in his chest was over six inches in diameter. When Snape returned he helped Dumbledore wrap Kingsley in the robe and tie it securely up. Remus and Sirius carried the body over to the edge of the ship where Dumbledore said a few words in the memory of their fallen comrade before releasing him over the side of the ship. He floated there for a moment before the ocean swallowed him up and he was gone forever.

"Dumbledore, look," Arthur said as he and Molly came to stand next to them. The five remaining members there looked to the horizon and saw the edge of the desert drawing near.

"What is that?" Molly cried, pointing to the sky as a loud rumbling noise appeared.

"By golly its an airplane!" Arthur cried in astonishment.

"An airplane?" Sirius frowned.

"It is a muggle form of transportation," Arthur explained. "Since they don't have brooms they created a huge metal device that can fly on mechanisms."

"That's quite impressive for muggles," Remus noted amused.

"This isn't good," Dumbledore said softly.

"What is it, Albus?" Molly asked anxiously.

"I believe Harry Potter is on that plane."

* * *

"Are you sure about this?" Tristan asked nervously as he peered out one of the windows.

"Yes, I'm sure," Tonks growled, aggravated. "It's the only way to get out of this bloody plane."

Tristan moved silently away from the window and flashed a brief uneasy smile to Blaise who helped him into his parachute pack.

"So let me get this straight," Ron said haggardly. "You want me to put on this tiny black bag, jump out of a plane that is thousands of feet above the ground, pull and little string and expect to land safely?"

"Yes, dear," Hermione confirmed.

"Okay." Ron shrugged and put on his pack.

"Are you guys ready?" Tonks asked. At their nods she pressed a button near the hatchway. "Okay, Mitch, open her up!"

The sound of metal grating upon metal filled the air as the door to the plane slid open.

"I'll go first and then you follow me!" Tonks yelled above the roaring of the engines. "Just remember! Cross your arms and fall out of the plane backwards!"

With that she grabbed the two handles on either side of the door way and with a sudden lurch, crossed her arms and fell out of the plane backwards. The five remaining teens watch as a few moments later a huge black parachute shoot out of her pack and settled in the air. Harry smiled reassuringly at the others as he lined up at the door's edge although his heart was pounding erratically in his throat. Closing his eyes tightly he pushed himself backwards and fell out of the plane.

It was the most amazing rush he had ever felt in his entire life. He felt like his stomach had flown up into his throat as butterflies flew around like crazy in the pit of it. Icy cold air ripped at his face as he free fell down, gaining speed as he went. Through the haze of the clouds he could barely make out the ocean and a sliver of land just below him. Reaching up, Harry grabbed his cord and jerked it hard. Immediately the parachute released and Harry was wrenched back as it opened. Now he was gliding gently through the air. With his hands upon two handles, he guided the parachute over Tonks and followed her descent. Looking up he saw Hermione floating behind him and Ron diving out of the plane.

Harry returned his gaze to the ground below him and reveled in how small everything look. It was so calm and peaceful. One would never know that a great war raged upon the area from the looks of it up here. A scream caught his attention and he snapped his gaze upward. Tristan, Ron and Hermione were all gliding above him, but one black blur was torpedoing past him. Blaise. He could see her pulling frantically on her cord, but no parachute was released. Harry felt his stomach climb into his throat again as he watch Blaise continue to fall, blood curdling screams following her all the way until she was a speck and then gone.

"Blaise!" Tristan's frantic cries could barely be heard above the wind whipping around Harry, but he heard them and it tore at him. If Blaise died then it would be his fault. He had led them all on this quest to save Ginny and defeat the Dark Lord. If he had stayed put like Dumbledore told him too than Blaise wouldn't be plummeting to her death right now.

The rest of the flight down Harry could think of nothing else and the guilt was building up against his heart. It now felt heavy and burdened and he couldn't help but wonder how many more deaths were going to add to the weight today. His feet skimmed the ground first not far from where Tonks' parachute lay abandoned. Harry quickly stripped off his parachute and sprinted to where Tonks was kneeling on the ground. When he reached them he did all he could to keep down the bile that was threatening to burst from his mouth. It tasted acidic and burned his throat, but he swallowed it nonetheless.

Ron, Hermione and finally Tristan soon joined them. Together they looked upon Blaise's fallen form and it was barely recognizable. Her body was completely disarranged and seemed to be broken in every place possible. Her head was smashed and blood and gore spilled into the sand staining it.

"Blaise," Tristan whispered, his voice caught in his throat. Hermione whimpered and threw her arms around Ron and buried her head in his shoulder. Harry backed away from the scene. He couldn't take it. He didn't want to be responsible for her death, but he was. With a gasp he fled and ran as fast as he could into the desert.

"Harry!" Tonks yelled, standing quickly to her feet. She instantly took off running after him. Ron and Hermione stared at each other for a moment before following leaving Tristan alone. Tears ran silently down his face as he knelt beside her form. Picking up one of her hands he cradled it to his cheek and pressed a light kiss upon it.

Harry ran as fast as he could, but he didn't get very far. Sand kicked up all around him and out of the night appeared a large form. Tonks reached his side and froze as a giant snake unfurled in front of them. Hermione squeaked and Ron looked very nervous as they came to stand next to them. Tonks, Ron and Hermione anxiously backed away from the snake, but Harry just peered at it curiously.

"Let ussss through," he hissed. For the second time that day, the snake blinked and was taken completely off guard.

"Thissss isss rare indeed," the snake replied. "Never have I come acrosssss two humansss who could speak to me in one day."

"Voldemort," Harry growled.

"Yesss," the snake answered. "The one who deemsss himssssself worthy of the myssstical sssssword has passssed through."

"You let him through?" Harry yelled. "Why did you do that? He'sss a nutcasssse! Completely pssssycho!"

"He possesssesss great powersss assss do you young one," the snake spoke. "I will let you passsss. You too ssssseek the great ssssword, but not to usssse it for your own meansss. You sseeek to sssstop this Lord Voldemort. You are the light while he issss the dark. Only one of you will triumph."

"Why are you here?" Harry asked.

"I wasss placed here long ago to protect the sssssword and the sssssacred city until the chosen one with great power came. I do not know which of you issss the one, but I am here to ssssserve the oneessss who can possesssss the sssssword."

"Take ussss there," Harry commanded. "Take ussss to the forgotten city."

"Assss you wissssh."

The snake lowered itself to the ground and allowed Harry, Tonks, Ron and Hermione to slip upon its back. Harry directed it to go back and get Tristan. While they were gone he had carefully wrapped Blaise's body in her parachute to cover her up. Then he had kicked sand over the blood stained grains. Reluctantly he joined them upon the snake and it slithered off into the desert.

* * *

The Order docked their boat upon the shore. It was not another ship that caught their eye when they landed, but the multiple black parachutes that littered the ground. The camels were led ashore and packed again by Remus, Snape and Molly as Sirius, Dumbledore and Arthur checked out the parachutes.

"What are these?" Sirius asked, poking one.

"They're parachutes," Arthur answered. "Muggles use them to jump out of planes. Some do it for sport and others do it because of missions and such. Kinda like the one Harry and his friends think they're on."

"You mean to tell me these things make you float in the air and keep your from dying or something?" Sirius said in disbelief as he kicked the next parachute. What he didn't expect was to hit something solid. Dumbledore knelt down next to the parachute and slowly peeled away. With a moaned he quickly covered the form back up.

"What is it, Albus?" Arthur asked. "Is it one of the children?"

"I believe it to be Miss Zabini," Dumbledore replied gravely. "But she is very disfigured. I'm assuming her parachute didn't function properly."

"Blaise fell from thousands of feet in the air and hit the ground?" Sirius said numbly. Dumbledore nodded gravely.

Sirius swore. "This has gone too far. When this is over all of those kids are going to be locked up in Grimmauld Place for life!"

"Our best bet right now is to keep moving in order to ensure that this truly does become over," Dumbledore advised.

"You're right, Albus," Sirius agreed. "As usual."

"Oh the sky!" Molly squealed. "It's so beautiful!"

The others turned around and caught a glimpse of an arrangement of color.

* * *

"Harry, look!" Hermione said in awe, tapping him on the shoulder and pointing to the sky. Harry turned his gaze from the desert to the sky and his eyes met a brilliance of light.

* * *

Faint rays of pale orange light seeped through the cracks in the clouds casting a colorful haze along the sky. Pinks, oranges and yellows were melted in a pool of color that was breathtakingly beautiful. Ginny gasped as a blood red sun appeared over the horizon. They had traveled through the desert as fast as the camels' feet would fly across the grains and they were almost to their destination. Draco gripped her tightly as the camel ran, but Ginny barely noticed. Only one thing was processing in her mind. A new dawn was breaking. The Winter Solstice was here.

* * *

**Hey guys! Hope you all enjoyed the latest chapter! Sorry it took forever to get up. I'm going back to school on Tuesday so I don't know when the next update will be. Next chapter will definitely have them being inside Rilanthia and probably with the sword as well. Please review, review, review because I live off of them and like the review slut I am, it makes me want more and then I write more! Cheers!  
**

**.:Angelgrl185:. **


	19. Realm of the Gods

Friends Close, Enemies Closer

**.:Angelgrl185:.**

_((I don't own the Harry Potter Series of any of its components))_

Chapter Nineteen: Realm of the Gods

Day of the Winter Solstice

It peeked out tentatively over the white mountains of sand. The brink of the Winter Solstice dawned with the glory of the morning sun. An orange haze of light filtered through the pastel sky as a large red orb began its ascent.

Ginny turned her head and covered her eyes. The light radiating from the sun burst forth into white-hot light and burned the eyes of all present. A low rumble deep in the earth caused the camels to fidget nervously. In front of her, Draco glanced about warily, his pales eyes squinted and his white skin almost invisible in the light. As the sun rose, the light dimmed and the air around them began to shimmer as an illusion in heat.

Ginny cried out in surprise at the ground lurched beneath their camel and she was thrown to the ground. Tremors wracked through the desert as the earth groaned. Multitudes of sand was tossed and shifted as the ground cracked wide open and luscious green life began slithering from its depths.

Draco reached down and hoisted Ginny back up behind him on the camel as the sand gurgled beneath her and sparkling pools of water surged forth. Tall, marbled pillars and buildings began to rise from the ground until they towered high in the sky. As the sand settled and the earth silenced, those who had seen the transformation from barren land to paradise stared in disbelief.

"Rilanthia," Ginny whispered, her face a picture of disbelief.

"It truly is a city fit for gods," Draco murmured, awe encompassing his words.

"It's beautiful," she responded, nodding in agreement.

Ginny was broken from her reverie by coarse, gleeful laughter. She turned her head sharply toward the source. Voldemort stood on the edge of the cliff with his arms spread wide and his body wracking with laughter. His crimson eyes glittered in the light as his lips spread into a thin, sinister smile. Ginny shivered at the essence of pure evil radiating from the wizard. Voldemort turned to his followers.

"The time has now come!" he cried. "Power and glory await us now."

Those still alive among his ranks roared in response. Voldemort held out his hand signaling silence.

"There is a passageway hidden within this city that leads to the cave. Find it."

At the command, Death Eaters surged forth on their mounts toward the city. Draco reined his camel behind Lucius and Voldemort at the cliff's edge.

"Draco," Voldemort spoke.

"Yes, my lord?" Draco responded, bowing low in his saddle.

"Join the hunt and take the girl with you," he commanded. "Her memories will be useful in finding the passageway."

"As you command," Draco replied.

He bowed his head briefly. With a flick of his wrist, he spurned the camel forward. Ginny wrapped her arms around his waist as they flew through the desert, their rooms billowing out behind them.

When they passed through the threshold of Rilanthia Ginny felt the familiar flow of magic slam into her body. Tears pricked in the corners of her cinnamon eyes out of joy. The absence of her magic had been slowly draining her energy and to now feel its return was like drinking in the sweetness of air after drowning. Ginny heard the hitch in Draco's breathing as his magic came back to him and she squeezed his waist happily.

The camel trotted along the city, its hooves thudding dully on the dirt covered streets. Ginny glanced around and drank in the beauty of Rilanthia. The interior of the city was no less appealing than its exterior. Bright, exotic flowers decorated the walls and grounds while white and gold marbled buildings gleamed in the morning sun.

"Where is the passageway?" Draco asked, twisting on his mount.

Ginny shook her head. "I don't know."

"Stop playing games, Ginevra," Draco growled. "This isn't a stroll in the park. Where is it?"

Ginny's eyes darkened at his words and she scowled. "So that's how it's going to be now? Voldemort's closer to his goal every minute so you decide to trade in for the winning side?"

Draco's mouth dropped slightly.

"Let me tell you something, Malfoy," Ginny hissed, emphasizing his last name. Her eyes were flashing in anger. "He's not going to win and there is no way in hell I'm going to try and help him."

"You're naïve and foolish, Ginny," Draco replied dryly. "Do you really believe he needs your help? The only reason you're alive up till now is because Voldemort needed you to draw Potter here, you know this. They will find the passage with or without your help. Now if you want to live to see tomorrow I suggest you cooperate. Potter's here so Voldemort has no need for you now. You're dispensable, Ginny; now help me keep you alive."

Draco's tone had softened toward the end and Ginny could hear the subtle pleading contained in his voice. She drew her breath and nodded, slowly releasing the captive air. Closing her eyes, she prodded her mind for the hidden memories and felt herself sink into the familiar flow of energy that coursed through her body as the magic took a hold of her. In her mind, she gently weaved together the colored strands and created a gateway to the recesses of her mind. She had never tried to access the memories on her own they just came randomly. Not leaving room to doubt the dangers of using Occlumency on her own mind, Ginny plunged into the past as an icy sensation flooded her.

* * *

"We're too late," Molly moaned as they watched the sun continue to rise. The members of the Order were helpless to do anything while the morning sun had dawned. Now they were gathered at the shore and staring despaired at the desert. 

"Hush, Molly," her husband chided. "It is not over until the world is dead. As long as people are still alive to fight than there is hope."

"Let us hope that Harry has not yet reached Rilanthia and suffered a fate similar to Miss Zabini," Dumbledore said, soberly.

"We cannot dally here any longer," Sirius spoke, coming to stand alongside Dumbledore.

"Sirius is right," Arthur agreed. "We must keep moving. Time is trickling away from us."

Dumbledore nodded and looked to Remus. His light blue eyes were grave and lined with wrinkles. He looked so aged and tired.

"What of Miss Zabini?" he questioned.

"I wrapped what I could of her body in the parachute," Remus replied. "I placed her body on the ship. She needs to be returned to her family when this is over."

"Of course," Dumbledore replied.

"That's if anybody survives," Snape muttered, darkly.

"Severus, please, don't talk like that!" Molly snapped, her brown eyes flashing irritably. "Have a little faith."

"Says the one who just complained we were too late," Severus remarked with a smirk.

Molly huffed and straightened up her back, glaring at him.

"Molly's right, Severus," Dumbledore said, softly. "If we enter this fight expecting to lose than we most assuredly will."

Snape sighed and nodded. "Should someone stay and watch the ship?"

"I wouldn't advise it," Arthur spoke up. "We are going to need all the man power we can get."

"Leave it," Dumbledore commanded. "We must mount and ride now. Time is off the essence."

With a swift maneuver not common for a man of his age, Dumbledore leapt upon the back of his camel.

"A note of warning," he said, looking back. "Magic will be unavailable to you here. You will feel empty and helpless without it. Don't give in. Many wizards have gone crazy without the feeling of magic flowing through their veins."

With that said, Dumbledore kicked his camel and raced off into the desert leaving Arthur, Molly, Remus, Severus and Sirius to follow in his wake.

* * *

Ginny landed roughly on dirt and rock-infested floor. She winced as her skin scraped against the jagged terrain. A frown marred her freckled features as she processed the pain. Memories weren't supposed to hurt. 

Dusting herself off, Ginny stood and looked around. It was a familiar place, but one that she had only witnessed before through the haze of a dream. There was a stale stench hovering in the air and the atmosphere was damp and humid. Ginny could feel the curls on her neck begin to stick to her skin.

She moved cautiously through the cavern. Up ahead she could see the source of light that was casting the rest of the cavern into shadow. When she arrived, Ginny gasped. Just like she had seen in the memories before, a large sword was illuminated in pure white light and hovered in the air. Its blade was longer than Ginny's own body and light reflected off of its silver frame. The handle was intricately designed with silver and gold patterns lacing the black core. It was the most magnificent piece of craftsmanship she had ever witnessed.

Ginny, however, could not reach the blade. A huge circle surrounded the pillar it hovered above. As she studied the ground, Ginny could only blink in amazement. The circle was divided into three equal parts, each part containing a different element. To her right the ground blazed with searing fire and Ginny could feel the heat of it warming her skin. To her left was a pool of serene, crystal water that Ginny longed to step into. Across the circle, the third part contained pure white grains of sand. It was a wonder that the elements didn't fuse together or destroy each other. Ginny knew that the water should be evaporated because of the heat or that the sand melted and crystallized, but here they were in their natural forms.

Ginny shook her head in wonder before backing away from the enchanted area. She needed to find the exit of the cavern. Walking toward the nearest wall, Ginny placed her hand gently against the cool stone and proceeded to walk along it. She figured the wall would eventually lead her to an exit. She passed by stalagmites and stalactites the protruded from the ceiling and ground of the cavern. Water dripped from the tips of the stone jutting from the ceiling. Minutes passed until she finally stumbled upon a passageway. A naturally carved stairwell led up into a dark recess of the cave.

Ginny swallowed nervously before plunging into the dark pathway. She kept her hand on the cavern wall as she steadied herself climbing the stairs. The steps were wet and Ginny felt herself slip many times. It wasn't long before Ginny ran smack into a solid wall. She frowned and rubbed her head irritably. Feeling around with her hands, Ginny let out a frustrated grunt when she realized there was no doorway or tunnel, but rather a dead end.

Ginny stepped back from the wall and tried to squint through the darkness. Her cinnamon eyes had adjusted slightly to the surrounding blackness, but she could hardly make anything out. Reaching into her back pocket, Ginny discovered that her wand had apparently followed her to this bizarre realm of memory. Whipping it out, Ginny muttered the necessary words to make it glow.

Iridescent light illuminated the space around her and chased the darkness away. Ginny held her wand aloft from her and studied the wall in front of her. A slight shimmer caught her eyes and she placed her hand softly against the portion of the rock that caused it. It was cold and damp to the touch. Ginny grinned. Dampness meant water. She held the ball of light higher in the air and scanned the ceiling of the tunnel. A slight trickle of water was flowing down the wall from a crack in the ceiling. Now that she could study it in the light, the wall ahead seemed to have a crack going around its outer edge.

"It's a doorway," Ginny murmured in disbelief. "How clever."

She placed her hand back on the wall and searched the exterior for any type of button that would trigger the doors release. She let out a screech of triumph when her fingers sank into the rock and a low rumble emitted through the tunnel. Slowly, the wall creaked open. Ginny held her wand in front of her and stepped cautiously through the new doorway.

A dank stairwell was in front of her and was lit by small torches lining the wall. Ginny extinguished her wand and slowly crept up the stairs. A putrid smell filled her nostrils as she ascended and she quickly wrinkled her nose in disgust. Following the flickering shadows on the stairwell, Ginny soon happened upon one of the most grotesque sites she had ever seen. Piles of rotten bones and skulls were scattered all over the stairs and the lingering presence of death was hovering like a thick cloud of smoke.

Ginny felt light headed as she took in the scene and leaned against the wall for support. Closing her eyes she tried to block out the horrid image of the skeletons' faces contorted in screams of horror. Drawing in a few deep breaths, Ginny opened her eyes and squared her shoulders in determination. She continued moving up the staircase until she reached the top. The passageway continued and as Ginny moved forward, soft things began to brush against her face. Ginny fought back a scream when she realized she was practically swimming in spider webs. The silky white tendrils were woven in almost every aspect of the stone hallway.

"_Incendio," _Ginny whispered, brandishing her wand. A bright ball of fire accumulated at the tip before blasting through the passage and incinerating every spider web along the way.

Threads of web crackled and burned on the ground as Ginny continued through. Her blood froze when a scurrying noise caught her ears. Ginny felt her body run cold and something akin to terror quaked through as an idea of what it could be popped in her mind. Ron wasn't the only one in the family who was deathly afraid of spiders and from the look of the passageway, the scurrying could very well be a whole bunch of them.

Willing herself to keep going, Ginny hesitantly and somewhat fearfully, continued down the passageway wary of little arachnids jumping out of the shadows onto her face. The putrid stench seemed to be increasing in strength with each step she took. Ginny felt chills run down her body as a cold wind burst through the passageway extinguishing every torch dousing Ginny in complete darkness. Hands shaking, Ginny held out her wand.

"_Lumos," _she said, her voice quivering slightly. A gasp escaped from her mouth as she stared before her. The hallway was blocked with thick layers of white web. The strands shone with a waxy gleam in the light emitting from her wand.

"_Incendio,"_ Ginny said once again. A fireball once again grew on her wand and was released. However, instead of wiping out the web, the fireball was reflected off the surface and shot back toward Ginny.

Ginny yelled in surprise and quickly dropped to the floor. She could feel the intense heat of the fire burning her skin as it skimmed right above her body. The scent of burned hair caught her nostrils and she quickly rolled over on the ground to put out whatever flames were trying to consume her. Sitting up, Ginny looked to the web. It had been blackened from the fire, but no visible sign of damage could be seen.

Ginny walked up to the barrier and gently placed her hand against it. It felt sticky and cool to the touch. Extremely grossed out, Ginny withdrew her hand quickly. Once the contact was gone, the web barrier parted down the middle. Ginny stared briefly puzzled as to what she did to gain passage. A loud roar in the distance made her blood curdle and she swallowed hard. Why was she doing this again? Oh right, death by Lord Voldemort.

Gritting her teeth, Ginny ducked through the webs and entered to find a narrow path surrounded by the same sticky substance leading off into the distance. Tiny spiders dotted the white web causing Ginny to shrink away from the sides. They seemed to follow her movement along the corridor. One of them had the indecency to jump off of its web and land on Ginny's arm. With a shriek, Ginny flipped her arm around trying to throw the spider off.

"_Mobilarbus!"_ Ginny managed to squeak out. With a flick of her wand she moved the spider of her arm and flung it into the wall. Ginny noted in satisfaction that the spider was now smushed to the wall and would no longer be bothering here. Then she noted, to her horror, that this made the other spiders very angry and they were now scurrying quite fast in her direction.

"_Reducto!"_ Ginny yelled. The webs where she aimed her wand blasted apart shooting spiders all over, but away from Ginny.

With that, Ginny turned on her heels and fled down the hallway not stopping for anything and not daring to look back. The sound of the spiders scurrying grew faint and in the distances the farther she ran and eventually her breathing returned to normal. Ginny didn't feel quite safe enough to stop from moving quickly though. A grin flickered on her face at her relief of getting afraid from the dreadful eight legged things, but it was removed immediately when a low growl echoed through the hall behind her.

Ginny whirled around and brandished her wand in front of her, the light striking the darkness. Squinting her eyes she couldn't make out anything as she continued to back up cautiously. Ginny jumped in the air as her body connected with something solid. Her arms brushed against a cool sticky substance. Ginny felt her heart plummet to the pit of her stomach when she realized that her body was immobilized and she couldn't move. Rotating what little of her wrist she could, she could make out that she was stuck in the same sticky substance of web that barred her passage earlier.

"Oh no," she groaned. Frantically she tried to kick and wiggle her way out but to no avail. It only seemed to suck her deeper into the threads.

The sound of scurrying reached her ears and Ginny froze. Moving her wand slightly, Ginny cast light against the passageway. What met her gaze made her blood freeze and her cinnamon eyes widen in fright. Standing before her was the largest spider she had ever seen in her entire life.

It's body consumed the entire hallway. It's exterior was jet black and shone eerily in the light. Little red dots speckled its hide and hair protruded from eight gangly legs. A collection of beady eyes stared straight at Ginny and fangs dripping with a yellow substance induced fear in her. Ginny couldn't hold back this time. Opening her mouth wide, Ginny let out a scream that reverberated through out the hall.

At the noise the spider reared on its heels and shot out a leg at her. Ginny screamed again as the sharp point of the spider's leg pierced her flesh. Ginny felt a warm fluid being to trickle down her left side, right below where the spider pierced her shoulder. Ginny felt her eyes fill with tears of pain as she gritted her teeth. Only one thought entered her mind as she watched the spider rear back again.

"Draco."

* * *

Draco paced impatiently. 

It had been almost a half an hour since Ginny has delved into her little mind trick. It wasn't supposed to take this long and Draco couldn't shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong. His slate eyes studied Ginny as she stood before him, her eyes closed in a look of concentration. Every so often she twitched or her lips moved, speaking silent words, but other than that, Draco had no indication of what was going on.

A bloodcurdling scream ripped through the air sending chills down Draco's spine. His eyes widened as Ginny visibly paled and her body began to tremble.

"Ginny!" Draco shouted, quickly closing the distance between them.

Her body swayed slightly before crumbling toward the ground. Draco reached out and swiftly caught her light form in his arms. Cradling her against his chest, Draco watched her worriedly. He felt so helpless and silently cursed himself for making her do this, but he had no choice. Voldemort would have sensed if she didn't would have killed her for not cooperating.

Another scream tore from Ginny's now bloodless lips and seemed to pierce his soul. He could feel the fear and pain contained within it and it cut him to the core. Draco hugged her close to him and buried his face in her hair. His hands gently rubbed her back more in an attempt to ease his own trembling than hers.

Confusion flooded his mind as a warm, sticky substance seeped through his robe. Draco pulled back from Ginny and looked around from the source. A bright flash of scarlet caught his attention. Draco gasped in shock and anger when he discovered the pool of blood collecting on the sandy floor. A small river of crimson was flowing down Ginny's body from a large hole in her left shoulder.

"What magic is this?" Draco wondered in confusion. "Ginny is in her memories? Those are physical. Ginny, what happened to you?"

A whimper escaped from her lips. Draco gently shook her body as if to wake her from a nightmare.

"Ginny," he said, "come back. You don't need to do this anymore."

Draco watched helplessly as Ginny's body begin to spasm and her screams filled the air. Another wound appeared, this time right above her hip. Draco could do nothing as Ginny screamed and tossed in his arms. He could do nothing but watch her die in his arms.

* * *

**Hello my readers. It has been a very long time since I last posted for this story. My muse has been unavailable to me this year and I have not felt the urge to write from some time. I humbly apologize for making you wait so long and I only hope I haven't lost all of my following.**

**You'll be happy to know that this story is now coming to a close with only one or two chapters left. It is my goal to have this finished within the next month or so. After this I plan on writing some original fiction. Thank you for being so faithful to me and I hope you enjoy this latest chapter.  
**

**Please review and tell me what you think although I don't really deserve it.**

**.:Angelgrl185:.**


	20. Immortality

Friends Close, Enemies Closer

**.:Angelgrl185:.**

_((I don't own the Harry Potter Series of any of its components))_

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* * *

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Chapter Twenty: Immortality

Day of the Winter Solstice

* * *

Ginny hissed through clenched teeth. Her cinnamon eyes were darkened with fear yet anger was beginning to spark and reside dominantly. The spider's eyes gleamed maliciously in the pale light of her wand.

"Nox," she whispered, dousing the passageway in darkness as she extinguished the light on her wand.

Ginny's eyes shifted through the darkness trying to make out the enormous form of her adversary, but it blended in smoothly with the environment. Trying to keep her cool and quell the fear, Ginny shifted through dozens of spells in her head. The pain in her shoulder and stomach were almost unbearable and the lack of blood was starting to make her feel woozy, yet Ginny refused to let herself perish now.

Briefly her mind wondered in puzzlement how this predicament came about. She was simply supposed to have just revisited the memories obtained in the Chamber so she could discover the location of the cave. Something, however, went very wrong. Instead of being a mere ghost she somehow transplanted her mind and took at physical form. Her gut told her she wasn't in the memory, but was actually in the actual cavern itself. Ginny had always heard about witches and wizards who could astral project or do variations of it, but never did she think she could ever be powerful enough to do it.

A spell flickered in her mind to help her predicament and Ginny, without hesitation, twisted her wrist what little amount she could to point at her prison.

"_Deletrius," _she whispered, softly as to not alert the beast. A pale yellow light swarmed the sticky web around her and immediately disintegrated it.

A large whistling sound alerted Ginny's attention and she barely dove out of the way as one of the arachnid's legs came crashing down beside her. Ginny rolled on the dusty floor until she hit the wall, her chest heaving. She winced as spasms of pain wracked her body, but she quickly scrambled to her feet.

"_Incendio,_" she called, lighting the torching surrounding them. Although she wanted to remain unseen, Ginny knew that she couldn't destroy the beast without knowing where to aim her spells.

She took one look at the spider standing before her; it's fangs dripping with thick yellow venom and ran. Her legs pumped beneath her, her feet pounding heavily against the floor as she ran down the corridor. The spider roared in rage as its prey darted away and soon Ginny could hear it scurrying rapidly after her. Her heart pounded uncontrollably in her chest and her breaths came in shallows gasps.

As the sound of her pursuing drew closer, Ginny knew it was futile to continue running. The spider was quicker than her and uninjured. Ginny wounds were weakening her considerably. Ginny turned around and with no time to catch her breath, the spider was right behind her drawing close. With an evil gleam reflecting in its eyes, the spider pounced propelling its large body sailing into the air toward Ginny.

Eyes wide, Ginny whipped her wand in front of her. "_Mobilarius!"_

The spider froze in the air mid jump and Ginny did not hesitate to send it slamming into the wall. Unfortunately, unlike its smaller counterpart, the spider was not reduced to a pile of mush. Instead it slid down the wall and fell at a pile on the floor. Momentarily stunned, the spider got to its feet shakily before growling in anger. Ginny gulped as it charged her.

This time she wasn't fast enough. The spider mimicked her and with one leg, speared her black robe and threw her forcibly into the wall. Dust flew into the air as Ginny's body smashed into the cold, grimy stone. The wind rushed from her lungs and her mouth gaped like a fish as she attempted to take in air. She felt her chest crack and her pain reached new heights. Crumbled against the wall, Ginny's head rolled up and through hazy eyes she saw the spider bearing down upon.

Weakly she raised her wand and tried to speak, but words were bereft from her. The spider towered over her, its large frame enveloping her small body in its hulking shadow. Ginny whimpered and huddled back against the wall. The spider leaned its head down and Ginny closed her eyes as she felt it's hot, fiery breath brushing over her skin. Venom dripped off of its fangs and sizzled against the ground.

"No," Ginny whispered. "It will not end like this."

With her last bit of strength, Ginny meekly raised her wand and shoved it straight into the spider's head. It roared in pain and tried to rear its head, but Ginny, her brown eyes set in grim determination spoke first.

"_Diffindo!_"

The spider released a screech of anguish as its body glowed in a dark azure light. It writhed and screamed as the sound of flesh ripping filled the air. In a matter of seconds, the spider's body was split completely in half. Hot, yellow venom seeped from its interior mingling with sickly green blood and guts. Ginny desperately scrambled away from the mangled corpse. A sigh of relief was released from her weakened body and she sank into the ground her energy depleted.

She didn't know how long she lay there nestled in the sandy floor with the firelight dancing across her pale face. The flow of blood stilled over time and her wounds crusted over. Her breaths came in shallow gasps, her cracked ribs hindering her breathing. Slowly, Ginny felt her strength returning to her as she rested. Weakly, she pushed herself off the ground to her knees. Not strong enough to support herself standing, Ginny began crawling languidly through the passageway determined to get to the end.

It was a long trek, but Ginny's hopes heightened as she neared what seemed to be the end of the corridor. Ginny collapsed in front of the doorway. It was the same hard rock that barred her entrance earlier and no doubt had the same type of trigger. Ginny didn't have the strength to find it. She hoisted her wand one last time and laid it against the door.

"_Reducto,_" she said, meekly. Ginny covered her head as the rock exploded apart leaving a gaping whole. Ginny crawled through the doorway, wincing as sharp rocks sliced her skin. When the hot rays of the sun gleamed down upon her, Ginny felt a smile slip onto her face before she collapsed completely to the ground and darkness filled her mind.

* * *

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"Crabbe, come here!" a thick voice shouted from the depths of a black robe.

The hulking figure across the room stalked over to the doorway where his companion was peering outside.

"What are you doing, Goyle," Crabbe asked. "We're supposed to be searching for the passageway."

"I think I found it," Goyle answered, lifting a beefy hand to point outside the door.

Crabbe peered around him and could make out a gaping black hole in the side of a stone building. Dust and rock were still floating around in the air making a cloudy barrier to his vision. A black lump on the ground not far from the hole caught his attention.

"Hey, Goyle," he asked, scratching his head.

"Yeah?"

"What's that?" Crabbe pointed to the object.

Goyle frowned and scratched his own head. "I dunno."

"Well, don't you think we should look?" Crabbe asked.

"I guess so," Goyle replied with a shrug.

They both exited the building they were standing in and walked over to the black bundle. Goyle moved to kick it with he's feet, but jumped two feet in the air when it rolled over on its own. Lying before them wearing a ripped and blood stained robe, her face extremely pale and breaths coming in shallows gasps was Ginny.

"Hey, Crabbe?"

"Yeah, Goyle?"

"Isn't that the Weasley brat?"

"Uh huh."

"How'd she get out her and get like that?"

"Beats me."

"Think we should kill her?"

Goyle was rewarded by a hard smack on the top of his head. He growled in pain and rubbed the sore spot.

"No, we shouldn't kill her," Crabbe answered rolling his eyes. "Our Lord would be most displeased. Now pick her up, carefully."

Goyle bent down ready to gather Ginny in his arms, but just as he was about to touch her, Ginny's frame flickered briefly before winking out of existence. Goyle jumped back in surprise and landed hard on the ground.

"What was that?" he yelled pointing at the spot Ginny's body used to inhibit, his eyes wide.

Crabbe had an astonished look on his face and once more moved to scratch his head.

"I don't know, Goyle, but we should report this at once."

Goyle nodded and the two Death Eaters headed back toward the center of Rilanthia as fast as their stocky legs let them.

* * *

"Draco."

Draco's head whipped up and he dropped Ginny's body to the floor in surprise at the sound of the silky voice speaking to him.

"My Lord," Draco said, standing to his feet and bowing low.

"What are you doing?" Voldemort asked, walking toward him, Lucius in tow. Voldemort's robes hid his feet from view giving the appearance of him floating.

"It's Gin- Weasley," Draco answered. "I made her do what you bid, but she has yet to return. It seems something went wrong and she has encountered physical danger."

Draco moved Ginny's robes to reveal the wound on her should and the one on her chest, both crusted over with dried blood. Voldemort studied Draco's face, his scarlet eyes narrowed.

"If she doesn't return soon, kill her," he commanded.

Draco struggled to keep his emotions from showing and just nodded curtly. "Your will, my Lord."

The sound of heavily pounding feet echoed through the city the same time Draco noticed Ginny's body begin to stir. Crabbe and Goyle ran up to them, their faces red and chests heaving. Falling sloppily to their knees they bowed low the same time Ginny's eyes flickered open.

"Draco," she breathed softly, lifting her hand weakly.

Only Draco heard her soft whispers. Voldemort and Lucius' attentions were on the two bumbling idiots in front of them who were ragging on about the ghost of Ginny Weasley. With sharp words, Voldemort quickly silenced them.

"She's awake, my Lord," Draco's voice broke the silence.

"Does she know the location?" Voldemort hissed, hovering over them.

"She is weak, milord," Draco replied.

"We know where it is!" Goyle announced triumphantly.

Voldemort cast a skeptical glance toward the pair.

"It's where we saw her body disappear, my Lord Voldemort," Crabbe added.

"Take me too it," Voldemort commanded.

Crabbe and Goyle nodded, quickly standing.

"Draco, bring the girl," Voldemort added. "We may need her yet."

Draco gathered Ginny's small frame into his arms and followed.

* * *

Voldemort's eyes gleamed excitedly as he led the expedition through the corridor. He passed the spider rotting corpse without a glance as did the others, but Draco caught the whimpers coming from Ginny as she realized they were traveling back into the passageway. Looking at the spider with its razor sharp leg points, Draco realized exactly what had happened to Ginny.

"Ginny, I'm so sorry," he whispered softly. "I should never have made you come down here."

"You had too," she croaked out slowly.

"You're so brave," Draco replied, his slate eyes darkening. "So brave and so strong. Stay with me Ginny. Don't leave me."

Ginny closed her eyes and a small smile lit of her face. "I'm not dying yet, Draco. I still have a dark wizard's butt to kick and a world to save."

"I thought you left those things up to Harry Potter," Draco teased lightly.

"Harry is going to cause more harm than good this time in his heroic antics," Ginny replied worry filtering in her eyes.

"It's going to be okay, Ginny," Draco whispered, reassuringly. "Everything is going to turn out fine. I promise."

"Don't promise things you cannot control, Draco," Ginny replied.

Draco nodded and silence enveloped them. Draco continued to carry Ginny through the passageway and down the stairwell. Voldemort's menacing laughter broke out through the silence of the passageway and reverberated through the walls of the city as they group entered the cavern. Draco stared at his surroundings in shock. It held such an aura of magic in power it was starting to make his head swim.

Draco hissed as his arm began to burn. Looking, he saw that his dark mark was glowing and moving as if alive. Immediately black forms began to appear. Draco realized that Voldemort had called those still searching the city to rejoin him. Draco set Ginny on her feet beside him and settled her against the wall next to him so she could have support. The Death Eaters gathered in a circle around Lord Voldemort.

"My faithful friends," Voldemort began, spreading his arms wide. "Feel the power! Drink it in! It surrounds you."

The Death Eaters cackled and laughed as Voldemort turned in a circle, his face lifted toward the ceiling in ecstasy.

"The time has come. You can see before us the object that will bring our complete power and domination upon this weak world.

"I can already feel Potter," Voldemort spit the name, "wandering within this very city. His blood calls to me. The time of retribution has dawned."

The Death Eaters cheered and hooted at the Dark Lord's remarks.

"Miss Weasley," he hissed, moving to stand before her. "I'm afraid your services are no longer needed."

Voldemort turned toward his followers. "Kill her."

Ginny's eyes widened slightly, but her face darkened. She refused to let him see how his words really affected her.

One of the Death Eaters stepped away from the circle and gracefully moved toward her. Her voice came out low and raspy as she raised her wand.

"_Crucio._"

Ginny felt her body jerk and she screamed as pain flooded her body. It was more than she could bear. As her body writhed, Ginny collapsed to the floor and in that instant, she remembered.

_She was in what appeared to be a rather large cave, damp and it smelled like rotting wood. A slight fog covered the air, which was thick and hard to breathe. Ginny blinked rapidly, hoping the sight in front of her would go away if she did, but alas, it did not. Standing in front of her in a half circle was a group of death eaters, their figures casting ghostly shadows against the dimly lit cave. Ginny pressed herself hard against to the wall as if willing it to open and swallow her up. She had nowhere to run. Ginny shivered as the death eaters grew near, their steps soft against the dirt ground, their beady eyes glaring at her behind black robes._

_They taunted her; she heard whispers all around her, even inside her head, baiting her, laughing at her. She clutched her head with her fingers and squeezed her eyes shut trying to block them out, but it did not work._

"Crucio_!" a low baritone voice boomed through out the cave._

_A wand pointed at her emitted a bright flash of light and Ginny screamed as the curse hit her. The pain was mind blowing, her head bursting with pain and white-hot light. She crumpled to the floor, her body searing with pain and she squirmed in the dirt like a pathetic dog. The pain lifted but its effects stayed with her as Ginny whimpered on the ground. The death eaters laughed coldly at her pain, satisfaction filling them as they watched her._

"_Thought you could hide from us forever did you?" a feminine voice spoke, laced with venom. "You cannot hide from the Dark Lord forever, he always finds what he is looking for."_

"_I don't know what you are talking about." Ginny choked out between spasms of pain. The death eaters laughed mockingly._

"_Oh really? Tell me, Ginny Weasely, do you really think we are going to fall for that?" the woman hissed. "_CRUCIO!_" she shouted vehemently, brandishing her wand and hitting Ginny full force with her spell. Ginny let out a blood curdling scream and fell back to the ground, squirming with the intense pain._

"_Enough!" a man yelled, causing the woman to stop her torment. Ginny gasped in air, her body still twitching. She had had enough, there was nothing left in her to keep going. Ginny wished that they would kill her and end this nightmare of a life._

"_She has caused enough damage, there is no reason to let her live any longer."_

"_But she needs to suffer!" the woman protested earnestly._

"_Her life has been one of suffering." The man said softly. The woman looked at him in disbelief. "Kill her now, end it." He ordered._

_The front most death eater brought his hand out from under his cloak and pointed it at Ginny. _

_"_Avada Kedavra._" He hissed as bright green sparks shot out and the blinding green light raced towards her._

Ginny opened her eyes. Her body no longer felt it was on fire and but the memory of the pain still lingered in her frame. The Death Eater's had closed in on her, their faces grinning eerily in the cavern light. Weakly, Ginny stood refusing to break in front of them. She lifted her head in defiance and waited for what she knew was coming. For the inevitable.

"_Avada Kedavra."_

As the bright green light of death rushed toward her, Ginny felt her stomach drop and she closed her eyes as tears welled in the corners of her eyes.

"Forgive me for being weak," Ginny whispered, a silent plea to all her family and friends. "Forgive me for failing you."

Squeezing her eyes tightly, Ginny waited for the darkness to consume her once again. This time, forever.

It never came.

"GINNY NOOO!" a familiar voice shouted and Ginny felt a body slamming into hers knocking her out of the path of the lethal curse and flattening them both to the dusty ground. They rolled several feet before coming to a halt, her savior on top.

"Draco," she whispered, gazing up at him.

Draco's slate eyes were filled with terror. His body was shaking on top of her. As she gazed into his pale face with his silky platinum hair falling into his eyes, Ginny realized that he was shaking in terror at the thought of losing her.

"Draco, what did you do?" Ginny said, pain in her voice. "They'll kill you too."

"I can't live without you, Ginny," Draco replied, his voice quivered with emotion. He lowered his head and softly captured Ginny's lips. Ginny closed her eyes and tears leaked down her face.

"I love you," she whispered softly in his ear.

Draco's voice choked in his throat and a smile flickered on his face.

"I will always love you, Ginny Weasley, even after death."

"How touching," Lucius sneered, his words shattering the moment. "Draco, you disgust me. Falling in love with that pathetic excuse for a wizard. You have betrayed your family, your heritage and your Lord for what? A Weasley twit? I raised you better."

"You raised me to be a murdering selfish scum just like yourself," Draco yelled. "The Weasleys are ten times the person you could ever be."

"You shame me, Draco," Voldemort cut in. "For this you shall die. Your pathetic attempt only spared Miss Weasley's life a few moments and now your treachery has been revealed."

"Kill them both, immediately," Voldemort barked.

"With pleasure," Bellatrix Black replied gleefully. Her dark eyes sparkled and her lips curved in a vicious smile.

"_Avada Kedavra._"

A haze of green light raced across the cavern and hit it's target dead on. With a feminine scream, she fell back to the floor; her lifeless eyes stared up at the ceiling.

"Ginny, nooooo!" Draco screamed, echoing his earlier words. His eyes clouded with confusion when he realized that Ginny was in fact quite alive next to him and it was Bellatrix's body that was deceased on the floor.

"_Incarcerous!"_ a multitude of voices shouted. Long strands of rope coiled out of the ground and wrapped every Death Eater in the cavern including Lord Voldemort.

Harry, Hermoine, Ron, Tristan and Tonks stepped out of the shadows; their wand brandished before them and deadly looks adorning their faces. Tonks still looked a little green from having used such an evil curse, but her resolve was just as determined as the others.

"Why, Harry Potter," Voldemort hissed. "How good of you to join us. I see you brought some guests."

"Shut up, you snake," Harry yelled, his green eyes flashing.

"Now, now, Harry," Voldemort admonished. "Is that anyway to speak to your superior?"

"You are dead, Voldemort," Harry growled. "I will destroy you for good this time. It ends here."

"Bravo," Voldemort mocked. "Such chivalry, such bravado. One could almost believe that you had what it takes to take someone's life. That's so evil, Harry. Can you handle it?"

"I don't think I'll have any problem killing the man who murdered my parents and countless others," Harry replied coldly.

"So sure than, Harry?" Voldemort questioned.

"You will die today," Harry said, firmly.

"So be it."

A sneer snaked across Voldemort's face. Closing his eyes, Voldemort chanted and in an instant, the bonds holding his body prisoner snapped and fell useless to the floor. Harry stepped back as Voldemort moved closer.

"Now, Harry," Voldemort chided. "You didn't think I'd let you kill me and my followers without a fair fight now did you?"

Raising his wand Voldemort removed the ropes binding the Death Eaters. They grinned and brandished their wands in front of them. For a moment no one moved, then activity exploded in the cavern. The Death Eaters charged at the same time as Harry and his team and rainbow colors of light surged through the air as they threw hexes and curses at each other. Bodies tumbled to the floor and cries of pain pierced the air.

* * *

Draco moved to his feet and helped Ginny to a standing position. Gently he led her behind a pile of boulders, hiding her from the war raging around them. Squeezing her hand lightly, Draco gave her a small smile before racing away from her to join the others. Ginny could only watch in apprehension, her body too drained to do anything.

* * *

Hermoine found herself rolling on the floor, her bushy brown hair dragging in the dirt. With a quick kick, she swept the Death Eater hovering over her right off his feet. Hermoine jumped up and pointed her wand at him and quickly cast a jelly-jinx. Every time the Death Eater tried to get to his feet, his legs wobbled and he crashed back to the ground.

"_Stupefy!"_ Hermione yelled.

The Death Eater's eyes rolled to the back of his head. Hermoine nodded in satisfaction and just for fun, slammed her foot down on the unconscious man's tender area.

She ran over to Ginny and knelt beside her.

"You okay, Ginny?" Hermione asked, concern marring her face.

"I'll be okay," Ginny replied, shifting her body then wincing.

"Where does it hurt?" Hermoine asked.

"My ribs, shoulder and stomach."

Hermoine opened Ginny's robed and gasped, placing once hand over her mouth when she saw the wounds.

"Oh, Ginny," she whispered, her chocolate eyes misting.

A flash of light flew over their head causing them both to duck as pieces of the wall exploded.

"_Protego._" Hermione quickly cast a shielding charm over the both of them.

"Let me see if I can fix these," Hermione murmured.

"_Episkey_," she said, touching her wand to Ginny's chest. Ginny's breath hitched. She could feel her bones moving inside her body, the pieces fitting together. Within seconds her broken ribs were healed.

"Whoa, Hermione, that's powerful stuff," Ginny said in amazement.

"I can repair your broken nose, but those wounds I'm afraid I can't do anything for," Hermione admitted.

"You've done enough," Ginny replied. "At least I can move now."

"Don't move too much or you'll open your wounds," Hermoine warned.

"I'll just move enough to show some Death Eaters what's what," Ginny joked.

Hermione grinned. "I guess you deserve to do that after what you've been through."

"No kidding," Ginny agreed.

"Ron, look out!" Hermoine shouted suddenly, standing up fast. Ginny followed her gaze to her brother.

Ron's head shot up at her voice and he had barely enough time to roll away from a hex. He landed no so gracefully on his head and flopped to the ground. Hermoine raced over to kneel next to him.

"Honestly, Ron," Hermoine muttered.

Ron stared up at her sheepishly and rubbed his next. Suddenly his blue eyes widened.

"_Langlock!"_ a deep male voice shouted.

The Death Eater who was about to speak a curse grabbed at his mouth, his eyes wide.

"_Locomotor Mortalis._"

The Death Eater's legs locked and he timbered to the ground to reveal Tristan standing behind him, his wand whirling through the air with flourish.

"What did you do to him?" Ron asked, staring at the gurgling Death Eater.

"I glued his tongue to the roof of his mouth," Tristan said with a twinkle in his green eyes.

"Cool," Ron said, impressed.

"How's Harry doing?" Hermoine asked.

"I haven't really been watching since I've been trying to keep myself from being killed, but from what I've seen, him and Voldie keep throwing hexes at each other and no one is really getting anywhere. Harry did do this really cool thing. I think it's called Conjunctivis Curse. It like scalded Voldemort's ugly snake eyes for a few minutes, but not long enough for Harry to really do anything but dodge something nasty."

"I taught him that," Hermoine said, lifting her head proudly.

"Yeah, yeah," Ron muttered.

"Where's Tonks?" Tristan asked.

Hermoine looked around the room then pointed to the far corner.

"Looks like she's fighting two Death Eater's over there."

"What about Ginny and Draco?"

"Ginny is behind the boulders," Hermoine said. "I put a shielding charm on her and healed her ribs. Draco is currently sparring with his father."

Ron gazed around the room. Stunned bodies covered the floor. None of them could bring themselves to kill anyone. It just felt too evil.

"Think we should go help them?" he asked.

"Harry needs to fight Voldemort on his own," Hermoine replied shaking her head.

"I think the same could go for Draco and Lucius," Tristan added.

"Tonks looks a little out numbered," Ron observed. "She's got the only two left."

The three turned their attention to Tonks whose bright magenta hair was flailing wildly as she dashed around the cavern, dodging hexes and throwing out her own. She efficiently disarmed one of the Death Eaters before using her wand to throw him into the near wall, knocking him unconscious. The second she confused with a Confundus charm and then used a body bind. With a satisfied smirk, Tonks wiped her hands on her robe.

"I think she's fine," Tristan grinned.

* * *

Draco raced away from Ginny, dodging a few hexes that sailed around him. His slate gray eyes were narrowed and locked on one figure. Lucius' face was twisted in an evil sneer as he sent curses toward Tristan. Tristan scream in pain as Lucius used the Cruciatus Curse on him.

"_Reducto!" _Draco yelled, his spell blowing his father off of his feet. Tristan locked gazes with Draco and then nodded. A moment later, Tristan was attacking another Death Eater.

"You are a fool, Draco, if you think you can defeat me," Lucius snarled getting to his feet.

"_Crucio!"_ his father yelled.

Draco gasped as the overwhelming pain brought him to his knees.

"You always were weak," Lucius taunted him.

Draco clenched his teeth in pain and his fists in anger. He forced himself to calm. Draco had been to target of this curse many times before. It took a lot of mental strength to push the pain from the curse far from his. Determined, Draco tried to steady his mind to thing of a counter spell. Raising his wand, he almost doubled over as his father strengthened the spell. Draco's hands dropped to the ground, panting. With a swift movement, he fell to the ground and twisted his body so he could target his father and swiftly cast the Bat-Bogey hex.

Lucius' eyes widened as big green blobs dropped from his nose, grew wings and began to attack his face. With a snarl he began swatting the flying boogers. It gave Draco enough time to get to his feet and catch his breath while Lucius dispelled the attack.

"Impressive, Draco," Lucius drawled, dryly. "What an endearing spell. Did you make that immature bit up on your own? Maybe you should learn this. _Impedimenta_!"

A silver light swirled around Draco's body. Suddenly he felt sluggish and as if his body weighed a hundred tons. Lucius' lips curved into an evil grin and he walked toward his son. It looked to Draco as if the man was running. Lucius reached out and smashed his fist into Draco's face and darted away before Draco could react.

"I should have known you would betray me," Lucius hissed. "You're just like your mother, weak, pathetic. No son of mine would stoop to consort with the enemy. You are no son of mine."

"I'd just as soon trade you for another father," Draco drawled. To his ears his voice sounded lower and more drawn out.

"You provided some amusement albeit," Lucius spoke, "but no more. Goodbye, Draco."

Lucius raised his wand.

"_Avis! Oppugno!"_

A flock of snow white birds were conjured into the air above Lucius and with raging squawks, the birds dove toward him and began pecking ruthlessly at him. Lucius howled in rage and pain as the beaks pierced his flesh over and over, pulling out his eyes and ripping the hair from his head.

"Draco, are you okay?" Ginny asked falling to his side as she removed the hex on him.

"I'm fine," Draco replied. "What are you doing? You're supposed to be safe behind the boulders."

"You didn't really think I'd let you have all the fun did you?" Ginny asked cocking her head to the side. "Besides, we're even now."

"I guess so," Draco replied with a smile. He ruffled her hair and placed a quick kiss on the top of her head.

Standing, he moved toward his father and dissolved the birds. Lucius was cowering on his knees, his hands roaming above his head to block any attacks. He looked pathetic. His pale blond hair was scattered along the ground and bloody patches spotted his head at the roots where it was pulled out. He moaned and screamed, tearing at his sockets, which were empty. Draco felt nothing. No remorse. No satisfaction.

"Goodbye, father," he whispered. "_Avada Kedavra_."

Green light shot from the tip of his wand and embedded into his father's chest. Lucius collapsed to the ground, his pain finally over.

"Draco, come on," Ginny said, tugging on his robes. Draco followed her silently to stand next to the others who were watching Harry fight Voldemort.

* * *

"You are a lot stronger than I expected," Voldemort spoke. He threw a hex at Harry who dodged it by ducking low to the ground.

"I'm full of surprises," Harry replied, shooting a stunning curse at Voldemort.

"But not strong enough," Voldemort said. "I am finished playing with you. It ends now."

Voldemort lifted his wand and instead of aiming it at Harry, aimed it at the sword that hovered in the air just beyond them.

"_Accio_ Masamune!" Voldemort shouted.

The sword trembled in the air and sailed toward Voldemort. He caught it deftly in his hands and in one motion swung it toward Harry. The sword's silver blade reflected the fear stained on Harry's face as it arched toward him. Harry felt his body freeze and his blood run cold. Voldemort's face was contorted in concentration, his scarlet eyes slit and burning with hatred. The sword's razor sharp edge sliced through Harry's body, cutting from his right shoulder all the way down to his left knee.

A scream ripped through the cavern, but it was not Harry's. Harry's green eyes were wide open in shock and the pain of having his body sliced in half was more than he could comprehend. As his eyes rolled in the back of his head, Harry's body slumped to the ground in two pieces, his crimson blood, a reflection of his Gryffindor heritage, stained the ground.

It was Hermione who screamed. Her face of horror reflected that of her companions around her. Tear pricked in her eyes as she knelt beside Harry's fallen form. Softly she smoothed her fingers over his soft black hair and with a sob, straightened the black glasses perched lopsided on his nose.

"Harry," Ron spoke in disbelief. He dropped beside Hermione and buried his face in his hands.

Tonks and Tristan clutched each other in shock as Ginny buried her head into Draco's shoulder, her body shaking with her sobs. Draco, however, was staring at Voldemort.

A look of ecstasy has spread across the dark lord's face as his body hovered off of the ground. The Masamune gleam in his hands as Harry's blood dripped off of the tip. With an inhumane roar, Voldemort moved to the center of the circle where the sword had hovered earlier. The three elements that surrounded Voldemort, fire, water and sand, shot straight into the air and mingled with the final element, air. The four elements twisted and braided together as they formed a cyclone encasing Voldemort's form in the middle. The elements were forged together and turned into a bright golden light encasing Voldemort. Voldemort screamed as the golden light softened to silver and than blinked out of existence. Voldemort's feet gently touched back down on the ground. The air around him seemed to crackle with power.

Draco felt his stomach churn inside him and his heart sank.

"He did it," Draco whispered fearfully. "Voldemort is immortal."

* * *

**Oh snap! Another chapter and out before the week is up! I'm on a roll! Hope you guys like this one. I do believe the next one is going to be the very last one. If not, than there is two more so hold on tight!  
**

**Please review and let me know what you think!**

**.:Angelgrl185:.**


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